Soccer: South Africa opening its doors to the world

Four weeks to go before 32 teams converge on the African continent for the first time to vie for soccer's World Cup.

For one quarter of the teams the tournament offers a realistic chance of success and the national immortality that comes with the trophy.

The remainder, New Zealand included, will attempt to create their own piece of World Cup glory by achieving more modest goals, such as picking up their first World Cup points, reaching the knockout phase or simply upsetting more fancied rivals.

For the host nation the tournament has far greater significance.

South Africa is trying to prove all the critics and doubters wrong. A country with a long history of sporting isolation and sanctions now has the opportunity to open its doors to the world.

The Africans are desperate to show that in spite of issues of security, infrastructure, poverty and corruption, when the call comes the nation can pull together and successfully stage an event of this scale. South Africa will put on a fantastic tournament.

There will be problems: transport will be difficult; tourists will be robbed; and the sound of the vuvuzela - a one-metre-long, brightly-coloured trumpet that South African fans blow making a sound like a roaring elephant - will become annoying. But if fans keep an open mind and treat it as an experience and not just a soccer tournament, then they will be rewarded.

For NZ fans, the tournament will offer a vastly different view of South African sport from the traditional All Black v Springbok or Black Caps v Proteas matches. The usual predominantly white spectators will be replaced by dancing, singing, horn-blowing black Africans. Soccer is truly the sport of the masses in South Africa.

On the field, the soccer is set to be spectacular. All the world's best teams have qualified meaning all the best players will have their chance to showcase their talents. The Fifa-mandated rest period before the finals will go some way to refreshing players after their long European seasons. The cool South African temperatures will be conducive to high-tempo soccer. The altitude factor of some venues should be adequately mitigated for the players by team preparations. However altitude will certainly have an effect on the jabulani, the official World Cup ball. Meaning "be happy" in Zulu, the jabulani is set to make some goalkeepers' lives a misery as it dips and swerves in the rarefied atmosphere on the Highveld.

One question mark remaining hangs over the standard of the playing surfaces. The stadia will be superb, but Fifa continue to work hard with the local organisers to ensure the pitches are in top condition. Last year Fifa even directed that local kikuya-type grass be replaced by imported rye that is more suitable for top-quality soccer.

As always, Fifa is leaving no stone unturned as the local organising committee puts the finishing touches to eight years of preparation.

Fifa president Sepp Blatter put his faith in South Africa when he handed them sport's biggest tournament. In four weeks we will know if that faith has been justified.

Fred de Jong is a former All White.