Solid gold sporting splendour on tour
● South Africans got the closest they will come to the Fifa World Cup trophy (after Bafana Bafana failed to qualify for this year’s tournament) when the cup was unveiled at a snazzy event on Thursday.
Held at The Empire Venue in Johannesburg’s Parktown, the event was hosted by Coca-Cola South Africa who, as sponsors of the championship, were responsible for the three-day tour of the coveted solid gold statuette.
This was a two-pronged event, with the musically minded invited to the venue’s auditorium for a sneak peek of the tournament’s anthem, Colours, sung by US singing sensation Jason Derulo.
It was there that I said hello to Lerato Kganyago for the second time in a week — this time with her pink wig swapped for a more demure brunette style, and wearing a white-and-red-checked super-short suit.
Lerato was hosting the listening session, having been handpicked to witness
Cassper Nyovest record his bit for the single in LA last month.
She also took her turn at the turntable, DJing last night at the concert that rankled the South African Football Association’s Cape Town president because the company took the Soccer World Cup event to Newlands — a cricket venue.
Heading upstairs to the sixth-floor rooftop of the venue, I make my way to the VIP event hosted by Andile Ncube.
Sports heavyweights like Fifa marketing partnerships manager Lucas Rachow and Coke bigwigs Roger Gauntlett and Velaphi Ratshefola mingled as they waited for the trophy to be unveiled.
In one corner I spot businessman Happy Ntshingila checking messages on his phone while arguably our best soccer captain to date, Lucas Radebe, takes a call.
Then it’s hello to one of my fave broadcasters, Iman Rappetti, who is starstruck that she is in the same room as Lucas Radebe, and I gladly introduce them.
Also in the room is the man of the hour, Cassper, who is seated at a table at the back with his buddies and who politely declines when I ask to him to pose for a pic with the trophy.
“I will be doing that later,” says the man who has made history for filling up local stadiums with his devoted fans.
Later on Cassper does get on stage, and explains his contribution to the single was an emphasis on the rainbow traits of our country, saying “the different colours of our nation” permeate the song.
Mind you, don’t expect to hear Cassper’s rhymes if you tune in to the song outside the country — the artist can only be heard on the South African version. Other artists from as far afield as Switzerland and Saudi Arabia were given a similar gig for their domestic markets.
Certainly the single is as addictive as a can of cooldrink with nine teaspoons of sugar.
As for the trophy, the 18-karat gold piece, which stands just over 36cm high and weighs as much as two bricks, is certainly impressive.