Smoke in greens and browns was let off to make the shape of Africa while dancers put on a show dressed in traditional costumes from Algeria to Zimbabwe. -- PHOTOS: AP, AFP, REUTERS
JOHANNESBURG - IN A colourful explosion of traditional African music, dance and song accompanied by the deafening cheers of thousands of fans blowing on noisy plastic trumpets, the continent's first international football tournament opened on Sunday.
The two-week Confederations Cup is being used as a warm-up event for next year's World Cup - the first to be played on African soil.
THE pinnacle of the ceremony was when the hundreds of children painted themselves in red, yellow, blue, black and green and took up positions to form the bright colored South African flag. From underneath a giant cloth, the children then painted the logo of the tournament.
But the stars of the day were the 60,000 fans who put on the vibrant energetic display that football supporters in South Africa have become famous for.
The rhythmic beat of a drum marked the start of the opening ceremony at Ellis Park, capturing the energetic and homegrown spirit of African football.
A thatched-roof hut and goal posts fashioned from pieces of wood took center stage on the field, where a few children kicked a ball around - evoking a scene played out in dusty slums and poor villages across Africa.
Smoke in greens and browns was let off to make the shape of Africa while dancers put on a show dressed in traditional costumes from Algeria to Zimbabwe. There were Masai warriors from Kenya, women in headscarves from Ethiopia, kente cloth from Ghana.
The opening ceremony featured about 700 children - black and white - and included performances by well-known South African artists such as jazz musician Hugh Masekela and singer Lebo M, who composed music for the hit musical Lion King.
'As an African myself I feel a very special emotion to share this moment,' African football president Issa Hayatou said at the start of the proceedings.
South African President Jacob Zuma and former president Thabo Mbeki were among the dignitaries who attended the opening, but anti-apartheid icon Nelson Mandela, the man who helped bring the World Cup to Africa, was not there. His contribution did not go unthanked, however.
'Mandela, we thank you for your inspiration, your leadership and unwavering support,' said Mr Irvin Khoza, chairman of the local organising committee. -- AP
