Vuvuzela vanishing?
South Africa insisted Wednesday it would remain the perfect World Cup host but a string of first round failures by African teams on their home turf threatened to muzzle the buzz of the vuvuzela.
After South Africa bowed out on Tuesday afternoon despite a brave victory over France, Nigeria followed them out of the tournament by drawing with South Korea, leaving only Ghana and Algeria with realistic hopes of progress.
But even they face a daunting challenge to stay in the tournament, facing up respectively against the mighty Germany and the United States in their final first round matches on Wednesday.
Defeat would mean Africa will have no representatives in the second round for the first time since 1982. A record six teams from the continent took part this time in what is the first tournament to be held on African soil.
"Ghana, Do It For Africa," read a headline in The Star newspaper as it urged South Africa not to allow the disappointment to become overwhelming and to keep blowing their ear-splitting trumpets.
"The vuvuzelas might lose some of their oomph from today, but we must immediately assume our rightful role -- as warm and wonderful hosts," said the newspaper in an editorial.
Nokuphila Khumalo, a South African who saw the France game at a Johannesburg fan park, acknowledged the volume of support would come down a notch.
"This is the last time you'll hear the vuvuzela. But the spirit will go on because South Africans are going to choose other countries," said Khumalo.
Rather than nail her colours to another African mast, the 23-year-old IT consultant said she would now rally behind one of the favourites.
"I support Brazil. Many South Africans are going to do the same because the T-shirt is the same colour, yellow and green."
Tourism officials said they have their own criteria in choosing which teams to root for, on a day when the likes of United States, England and Germany could all fail to make the second round.
"For us Germany and England and those countries are important because they have been core markets in which we have been working, and seeing them qualify is, from a touristic point of view, in our interest, if truth be told," said Thandiwe January-McLean, head of South African Tourism.
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