Fans keep chanting alive amid vuvuzela din
Friday, 18 June 2010
BLOEMFONTEIN, June 17 (AFP): The deafening racket from vuvuzelas has drowned out chanting at the World Cup but fans in Bloemfontein renowned for their singing are determined to keep the tradition alive.
The supporters of Bloemfontein Celtic made such an impression during last year's Confederations Cup that Nigeria and Honduras have asked for their support from the terraces, according to high-profile fan Pule Malebo.
The noisy monotone vuvuzela trumpets, whose buzzing has been compared to a hornets' nest, are here to stay in South Africa despite complaints from players and broadcasters after FIFA president Sepp Blatter ruled out a ban.
But for Malebo, singing and chanting are traditions worth preserving and he says the fans of Celtic, known as Siwelele, are the only ones in the South African domestic league to favour chanting over blowing the plastic horns.
"Normally what we do in a stadium is that as we converge we start celebrating and singing in an African way that reflects the true culture of the team," he told AFP.
"We chant, we sing whether we lose or win or play out a draw. The reason we sing is we want to encourage and inspire and motivate our players."
"It's best if you sing. We dance and sing as Africans. Whether you mourn or celebrate you sing and dance," he said, saying they used vuvuzelas more as props for their dancing.
Fans on the website of the Premier Soccer League club, who wear green and white-striped shirts like the famed Scottish club after which they are named, also voiced their opposition to vuvuzelas.
"I have never been a fan of the vuvuzela and doubt if I ever will be, said a post from "Goodguy," who added: "We rely on lifting our players up with song."
"Vuvuzela is not part of our culture as some people make it out to be. It irritates the hell out of me," he said.
Malebo said supporters in Bloemfontein had caught the eye at the Confederations Cup to such an extent that they had been asked to lend their support to teams playing in the city.
"Honduras and Nigeria have asked for our support because during the Confederations Cup when Brazil were playing here against Egypt, the Brazil players said they have never seen such a bunch of sophisticated fans."
The supporters of Bloemfontein Celtic made such an impression during last year's Confederations Cup that Nigeria and Honduras have asked for their support from the terraces, according to high-profile fan Pule Malebo.
The noisy monotone vuvuzela trumpets, whose buzzing has been compared to a hornets' nest, are here to stay in South Africa despite complaints from players and broadcasters after FIFA president Sepp Blatter ruled out a ban.
But for Malebo, singing and chanting are traditions worth preserving and he says the fans of Celtic, known as Siwelele, are the only ones in the South African domestic league to favour chanting over blowing the plastic horns.
"Normally what we do in a stadium is that as we converge we start celebrating and singing in an African way that reflects the true culture of the team," he told AFP.
"We chant, we sing whether we lose or win or play out a draw. The reason we sing is we want to encourage and inspire and motivate our players."
"It's best if you sing. We dance and sing as Africans. Whether you mourn or celebrate you sing and dance," he said, saying they used vuvuzelas more as props for their dancing.
Fans on the website of the Premier Soccer League club, who wear green and white-striped shirts like the famed Scottish club after which they are named, also voiced their opposition to vuvuzelas.
"I have never been a fan of the vuvuzela and doubt if I ever will be, said a post from "Goodguy," who added: "We rely on lifting our players up with song."
"Vuvuzela is not part of our culture as some people make it out to be. It irritates the hell out of me," he said.
Malebo said supporters in Bloemfontein had caught the eye at the Confederations Cup to such an extent that they had been asked to lend their support to teams playing in the city.
"Honduras and Nigeria have asked for our support because during the Confederations Cup when Brazil were playing here against Egypt, the Brazil players said they have never seen such a bunch of sophisticated fans."