Tales from the traffic - Soccer fever

Today was the make or break match for South Africa against France and I decided I did not want to miss it. So like many other good South Africans I decided to leave work early, but was a bit disappointed because I was delayed and had missed the kick off at 4.00 pm. I also had to stop in at the shops and when finally got back on the road, it was already about 4.20 pm. To make matters worse the traffic coming down Cape Road was grid locked at Hospital Road, where I needed to turn right.

And there I sat waiting. "Rats," I thought, "I am missing the match."

I then changed gears, mentally that is, and decided to go with the flow, or lack of it. The atmosphere was electric. The oncoming cars all seemed to be filled soccer with fans, dressed in their brightest supporters gear, brandishing flags and vuvuzelas, obviously headed for the Fan Fest at St Georges Park.

Across the road a crowd of pedestrians had gathered on the sidewalk outside Dagwood's restaurant, where they could see the big screen. They were getting progressively more and more excited and suddenly they exploded into loud cheers. Bafana Bafana had scored their first goal.

Their initial cheering was soon drowned out by motorists sounding their horns and passengers blowing their vuvuzelas from the car windows. Added to the general cacophony was more cheering and shouts of glee from drivers and passengers alike. One elderly fellow, wearing a bright yellow supporters hat, gave me a big toothless grin as he drove past.

Suddenly there was a gap in the traffic and I drove off.

When I walked into the sitting room at home Sue told me I had just missed the first goal. "I know," I replied, "but experiencing the atmosphere back on Cape Road when that goal had been scored, had been well worth it."

South Africa may have been eliminated from the World Cup, but Bafana Bafana did it in grand style, by beating the French 2:1.