PRESIDENT Jacob Zuma officially opened
the 29th Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) soccer tournament at the National
Stadium in Soweto, south of Johannesburg, on Saturday.
Zuma lifted a flame after the opening
ceremony, which had started on schedule at 16:00, with a distinctly
African theme, as a heavy downpour subsided.
Structures resembling brick walls were
assembled on the pitch with the words “poverty” painted in black and
“HIV/Aids” painted in red.
The entire soccer field was covered in
rainbow-coloured material. Masses of children danced on the material,
and after joining in the centre of the field, the children took apart
the structures piece by piece.
The rain began two hours before the ceremony was due to start, but lightened about an hour before the start.
Most of the crowd took shelter behind
the stands during the ceremony. The seats were left almost completely
empty as supporters waited for the rain to stop.
The majority of fans were dressed in
yellow in support of Bafana Bafana, who were set to face Cape Verde
Islands in the opening match.
Meanwhile, South Africa played out a
disappointing goalless draw with newcomers Cape Verde in the opening
game of the 2013 Africa Cup of Nations.
Bafana Bafana struggled to overcome
their tag as a side who struggle to score goals, failing to create
clear-cut chances in the Johannesburg rain.
Cape Verde had the best opportunity of
the game, with striker Platini dragging his close-range shot badly
wide.The result, however, gives the Blue Sharks their first Nations Cup
poi
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