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South Africa Football Association (SAFA) organized a parade for its Bafana Bafana team. It was at a time
when the world governing body (FIFA) was under tremendous pressure from critics, who felt that South
Africa was not ready to host and the stadiums would have had empty seats due to feedback of slow tickets
sales from within the country.
FIFA resolved the challenges of online ticket sales to the locals without internet access, by making over the
counter sales of match tickets more accessible. Ticket sales picked up and the marketing of the tournament
became more positive
The Bafana Bafana parade was also an effort to trump up support for the country’s team and promote the
tournament to the international media as well. If the critics had doubts, the Bafana team parade was the first
of many assurances, that FIFA World Cup South Africa was alive and kicking. But as is usually the case,
what was satisfactory for some, was not enough for the few negative thinkers.
T
here was an incredible hype for South Africa’s national team parade. Thousands of Bafana fans flock to
the streets, dressed in their national colors, waving flags and blowing their Vuvuzela trumpets. It was the day
that every variety of Vuvuzela trumpets were on display and on its way to becoming the official sound of the
2010 FIFA World Cup.
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