South Africans Celebrate in Streets After Advancing in the World Cup

In the early hours of Thursday, South African football supporters flooded the streets, honking vuvuzelas and singing to celebrate Bafana Bafana’s first qualification for the World Cup knockout stages.

It was the team’s first World Cup appearance since hosting the tournament in 2010. They upset South Korea with a 1‑0 win on Wednesday, securing advancement at a time when progression seemed doubtful after a 2‑0 defeat to co‑hosts Mexico in their opening group match.

When the match concluded at about 5:00 a.m. local time, crowds of people, many still in their pajamas, emerged onto the streets to chant, dance, and blow long plastic vuvuzela horns.

Soweto resident Nandi Ntini told AFP that she was woken up by vuvuzelas and fireworks.

“There were fireworks outside and the celebration went on for more than an hour after the game,” she said.

“We are proudly South African, and this is our Cup. We have started it and we will finish it,” said a fan in Johannesburg’s Soweto area in a video posted online by the national broadcaster SABC.

“We love and support Bafana Bafana,” said another fan, wearing a scarf in the colours of the South African flag around his neck as crowds of people celebrated in the street behind him.

Other social media posts showed women dancing in their dressing gowns in a Soweto street as people sang “Shosholoza”, a Zulu chant meaning “go forward” that South Africans often sing at sporting events.

President Cyril Ramaphosa praised the squad’s “inspired team performance” in a post on social media.

“We remain united and hopeful under our banner that declares: ‘One Nation. One dream. One goal’,” he said.

AFP