The Indian Premier League razzmatazz may have swept South Africa off its feet, but away from IPL's hustle and bustle, the 'Rainbow Nation' is also silently bracing for 2010 soccer World Cup, determined to make it an equal success.
While all roads in this city lead to the Wanderers
Stadium where IPL organisers are offering a heady cocktail of cricket and entertainment, the picture is exactly opposite at the Coca Cola Park, one of the 10 venues of the 2010 World Cup, where scores of construction workers silently go about their work with routine professionalism.
Zayd Abrahams, Stategic Marketing Manager of Coca Cola South Africa, said it was an opportunity for the country to shatter the myths and prove its ability to host world-class event.
"Hosting the 2010 World Cup gives us an opportunity to change the perception that Africa is the 'dark continent'. Our former President Nelson Mandela was instrumental in getting us the right and the onus is now on us to deliver what Mandela had committed to the world," he said.
As part of that, stadiums across the country are receiving a facelift and Coca Cola Park's preparedness would be tested in next month's Confederation Cup.