The entire planet watched the dramatic climax to what was a fantastic four weeks in one of the most beautiful countries in the world. The closing ceremony of the 2010 World Cup was a fitting tribute to the indomitable spirit of the African to prove sceptics and critics wrong that the continent does not have the capacity to hold an event of that magnitude. The world came and saw a country and a people that left no stone unturned to deliver the best advertisement for Africa.

From the entry into South Africa, to the people that welcomed all; from the taxi drivers to the hotels receptionists; from the shopkeepers to the ordinary man and woman on the streets; South Africans were an epitome of courtesy, friendliness and hospitality.  Even their usual hostility to Nigerians gave way to genuine warmth and permanent smiles.  Not even the pre-mature exit of their beloved Bafana Bafana in the first round would deter the people. They blew their Vuvuzela horns even louder and flooded the rest of the matches in even greater numbers. They cheered all the other teams with equal gusto, and danced and celebrated every match as if it was the final! God bless South Africa and South Africans for giving the football planet a great and memorable World Cup!

I called up a friend in South Africa this week to give me a sense of Johannesburg in the days after the World Cup finals, what the streets were now like, how the people were taking it, what they were saying, what was going on!

He told me. As in every World Cup before 2010, as quickly as the crowds came, so did they disappear. It is uncanny! The hotels are suddenly empty. The streets quickly return to normal.  The noises die down. The stadia now stand empty and lonely at a distance, but still majestic in their splendour, like sentries ‘weeping’ and whispering goodbye to the hundreds of thousands that had ‘invaded’ them for weeks like an army of conquest. The airports now wear a sad look, with immigration officers biding the remnant of their close to 400,000 visitors in the period of five weeks, goodbye. Now the people are taking their breather from seven years of toil, sweat, tears and blood. The visitors have come and gone like a breeze. As ‘dusk’ looms in the horizon, the silence of normal life in South Africa returns, the human traffic and frenzy are gone until perhaps another day and time in the future when South Africa hopes to host another event like this again! The Olympics, perhaps?

Then nightfall comes! And then another day. South Africans wake up at dawn to gather the pieces, to count the costs and the benefits! At the end though, all Africans should be proud to know what the world now thinks of their effort and their continent. It has been more successful than anyone ever thought. For me personally, South Africa 2010, apart from the pain of the poor performance of my country, has been an unforgettable experience.  It was full of life, love, friendship, colour, entertainment, ‘noise’, and football that ranged from good to absolutely brilliant.

At the end of it all I want to return to SA soon!