His name is Siphiwe Tshabalala, but South Africa will simply remember him as a World Cup hero. At 55 minutes into the opening game of the 2010 World Cup, Tshabalala scored the tournament's first goal.
To get all the firsts out of the way, it was also the first time South Africa has scored a World Cup goal on their own soil, the first time an African nation scored a World Cup goal in their own continent and the first time 85,000 fans at Soccer City Stadium had a reason for celebration.
South Africa's team entered the match ranked 83 in the world, facing the Mexican team ranked 17th. The South African team held on for a 1 - 1 draw. They are still in good position in their group after France and Uraguay ended their opening match with a 0 - 0 draw.
The USA team opens their play today against England. The excitement of being in the middle of the world's most enthusiastic sports fans has made this trip one of the most enjoyable for me and my wife.
We will add our voices to the supporters of the USA team. The reports are that more tickets were purchased by Americans in advance than any other nation. Maybe the word is getting around that this is the most popular sport in the world.
All of South Africa comes out in force whenever any African team is playing. Nigeria opens against Argentina later today. That promises to be another match that will keep the revellers up all night. There is no way to describe the energy that has captured the entire population. Add about 2 million visitors, and you have the ingredients for a world class party -- wherever two or three are gathered.
More to come!
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