11.06.2010 Ke Nako in South Africa

It's four years since Baden-Württemberg scholarship holder Willem Fourie studied in Tübingen and experienced the German summer's fairytale at first hand. Now the World Cup is taking place right on his doorstep again, but this time in South Africa. The South African Willem Fourie has reported for www.bw-stipendium.de about the significance of the World Cup for his home country and exclusively revealed who he thinks will win in the end.

The World Cup is more than just a sporting event for South Africa, the "Rainbow Nation". For Willem, it especially represents an opportunity for people of different backgrounds and skin colours to come together and celebrate as one. And the 2010 World Cup in South Africa has already achieved that.
There is a celebratory mood in the air. South African flags can be seen everywhere, the children are learning the "Diski Dance" in the schools and the "Feel it. It is here!" motto is a constant on the TV. The South Africans are full of pride and anticipation for this sporting event taking place in their country.

Willem first got a taste for the action at the 2006 World Cup in Germany. He spoke himself of his experiences during the World Cup in Germany as having been an eye-opener. Willem watched lots of games that time with his friends in the Evangelical Stift in Tübingen or in pubs, cheered on Lukas Podolski, his favourite German player, and enjoyed the "fantastic" atmosphere. Unfortunately, Willem hasn't seen the film "Germany: A Summer's Fairytale" since, which he really regrets because the atmosphere four years ago left a lasting impression on him. So much so that now, four years later, he will be going in person to see a whole five games, one of them even in Cape Town, during the World Cup in South Africa!

Willem hopes that Africa will receive greater trust and openness from the World Cup in South Africa on the one hand and that the world can say together "Ke Nako" - "it is time!" at the end, just like the official slogan. On the other hand, he hopes that it will encourage more people to take an interest in football so that South Africa will one day have a "real chance" of taking the World Cup title! Until then, Willem is tipping Brazil to win the tournament!

We will let you know soon how the mood progressed during the World Cup in South Africa and whether Willem got his prediction right...