GREETINGS!

The football matches are over, the fans have gone home and it's back to business as usual. With the World Cup behind us, South Africans from all walks of life can hold their heads high and proudly say we did it! FIFA President Sepp Blatter gave South Africa nine out of ten for the way the country organised and hosted the 2010 World Cup. He said he was more than satisfied with the way South Africans hosted the World Cup and that it had changed perceptions about Africa's ability to host big international events.

Although our Bafana Bafana did not make it to the final stages of the tournament, we are still winners. For more than a month, South Africa and its people have been on a world stage. Watched by a massive world television audience of more than a billion viewers, South Africa's performance has been outstanding. We shared our world famous South African ubuntu at its very best. We remained high spirited, we filled the stadia to the end, displayed our national colours with pride and passionately blew our vuvuzelas - our latest export to the world.

Visiting football fans, tourists and officials alike praised the abundant warmth and friendliness of the South African people. Although not everyone benefited individually from the hosting of the world's biggest football spectacle, there are many benefits for the country and its people. These include improved roads, airports and security, world-class sports facilities, increasing tourism and long-term investment potential.

The 2010 FIFA World Cup saw an explosion of national pride. For the first time, all South Africans, regardless of race, religion, age or creed, firmly stood behind Bafana Bafana and proudly flew the flag. Once again, sport played an important role in the ongoing efforts to build a united, non-racial and prosperous South Africa and a better world. To quote Bafana Bafana player, Steven Pienaar: "With football we brought our nation together and showed that we are one country... we have to be proud of the team."

The Editor