INSIDER World Cup Diary - Jabulani Ball, Vuvuzelas Slammed; Match Fiasco

(ATR) The anticipated travel nightmares coming away from the opening match at Soccer City on Friday never materlialised, with car parks and roads largely clear 90 minutes after the final whistle.

The 2km exclusion zone around the stadium was augmented by traffic police, who overruled traffic lights and considerably eased the flow of traffic.

It was a similar situation at Ellis Park on Saturday for the Argentina v Nigeria match where another huge cordon freed up streets for the park and ride services that are an essential part of Johannesburg’s transport plan.

But some uncertainty remains among fans, with information difficult to obtain and the Department of Transport website the LOC points supporters to hopelessly inadequate.

Although there have been isolated incidents of robbery, the crime wave that many hyped up before the tournament started has not happened.

In the absence of these popular complaints, the ire of the world has been turned back on rather more mundane scapegoats – the Adidas Jabulani match ball and the humble vuvuzela trumpets that are causing a din at every match.

England captain, Steven Gerrard, was the latest to join in the criticism when he had the temerity to blame Saturday’s howler by goalkeeper, Robert Green, on the ball.

So fed up was Adidas by the constant criticism that it has flown over to South Africa two of the scientists who helped develop the ball to answer any complaints the press might have.

The vuvuzelas, which did so much to add to the extraordinary atmosphere at Friday’s opening match, were subsequently blamed for France’s dismal opening display against Uruguay a few hours later.

"We can't sleep at night because of the vuvuzelas. People start playing them from 6am," whinged captain Patrice Evra.

"We can't hear one another out on the pitch because of them."

In the feeding frenzy that followed, organising committee chief Danny Jordaan was misquoted by the BBC in saying that a vuvuzela ban is being considered.

What he actually said was that a ban may be considered "if there are grounds to do so."

Asked to give an example, he replied: "We did say that if any land on the pitch in anger we will take action."

Match fiasco unveiled

Poor corporate ticket sales have hit FIFA hard in the run-up to the tournament. Its official partner Match has been criticized for over-inflating prices, while also being hit hard by the global economic recession.

The extent of Match’s problems – even after FIFA stepped in and tried to sell off thousands of its tickets at reduced prices – was laid bare at the opening ceremony, one of the tournament’s hottest tickets, where a number of corporate suites stood empty.

Some might also question the official attendance of 84,490 – just over a 1,000 below its World Cup capacity after two prominent blocks facing the halfway line were empty at kick-off. These were partly filled later by several hundred fans wearing bright green colours, suspiciously like those of the jackets worn by the tournament’s endlessly cheerful volunteers.

Confusionand joy in the press box

After being impressed by the enthusiasm of their fans and the hospitality of its people, many journalists have taken the gutsy boys of South Africa – the Bafana Bafana – to their hearts, adopting them as their second team.

In the cauldron of noise at Soccer City on Friday, it was difficult not to get caught up in the moment. When Tshabalala almost broke the Mexican goal net with his thunderbolt there was an eruption of celebration in the press box – followed by a score of red-faced journalists trying to confirm who assisted the goal, having missed the replay in their elation.

The press box at Soccer City provided, many there acknowledged, some of the best facilities they had experienced. Plenty of space, good TVs to check the action – all the things journalists dream of.

By contrast, Ellis Park's media facilities were less than brilliant, particularly for those journalists unlucky enough not to get a desk. No desk, no power supply, just a plastic seat - with the sort ofleg room that would give some DVT - and an internet connection.

Engaging Johannesburg’s traders

FIFA missed a trick with their heavy-handed commercial exclusion zone around the stadiums.

Ellis Park is a classic sports venue, set deep in a working-class neighbourhood in Johannesburg. But while the streets were alive with an awesome display of passion, colour, song and dance from Argentinean and particularly Nigerian fans prior to Saturday’s match, the streets were otherwise dead and not a shop or market store was seen to be open.

It’s difficult to see how allowing street traders would have diminished the trade of FIFA’s commercial partners.

Johannesburg is a natural centre of commerce and opening the streets to its traders would have given something back to a part of the community that is likely to benefit little from the World Cup. It might also have allowed fans the opportunity to buy something more authentically African than the over-priced Zakumi dolls - which are made in China anyway.

All it needed was a little bit of imaginative thinking, as shown by FIFA’s commercial partners, Visa.

In Johannesburg’s sprawling Sunday crafts market in Rosebank, shoppers – including many fans – were encouraged to use their Visa cards to buy goods. Those who did, then took their receipts to a Visa representative and were given a free Zakumi mascot or mini-Jabulani. It provided a win-win situation for all parties concerned.

Blatter watch

In paranoid, heavily censored North Korea it is rare for its people to get a glimpse of any world leader, other than their own. But on Saturday its subjugated people got not just one president, but two, when state TV broadcast excerpts of the previous day’s World Cup opening ceremony, including speeches by Sepp Blatter and Jacob Zuma.

Maradona, Messi & Moyes

They say the World Cup is the place to meet your heroes, and I bumped into mine at Ellis Park on Saturday. No, not Messi or Maradona – but David Moyes, Everton’s outstanding manager.

World Cup in numbers

19 – Holland’s current unbeaten run, going into their match today with Denmark at Soccer City. It is their longest ever undefeated run.

Withreporting from WFI's European correspondent James Corbett inJohannesburg (james@worldfootballinsider.com)

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