Cape Town - President Jacob Zuma has welcomed the various soccer teams as well as the fans that have begun trickling in to South Africa for the FIFA Confederations Cup.
Speaking in the National Assembly in Parliament on Tuesday, President Zuma said the arrival of teams and visitors have added to the soccer mood all over the country.
"We welcome all our visitors and wish them an excellent stay in our country. May the best team win. Of course no one can blame us for believing that that team should be Bafana Bafana," the President said.
He further urged South Africans to attend matches and fill the stadiums during the games.
"Let us all go out and support the beautiful game," said President Zuma.
The President later in the day received the Confederations Cup trophy which was presented by FIFA Secretary General Jerome Valcke and the Chief Executive Officer of the 2010 FIFA World Cup Organising Committee South Africa, Dr Danny Jordaan.
South African fans are in for a feast of football as eight teams - Iraq, Egypt, Spain, United States, Brazil, New Zealand, current World Cup champions Italy, and 2010 hosts South Africa battle it out from Sunday.
The matches will be played in Johannesburg, Pretoria, Rustenburg and Mangaung/Bloemfontein.
The South African national team, Bafana Bafana are already in their training camp in Johannesburg and promise to dazzle at the opening match against Iraq at Ellis Park.
Seen as a dress rehearsal for the 2010 FIFA World Cup, tickets for the Festival of Champions, are selling well, with over 60 percent of the 640 000 available tickets already sold.
Tickets for several matches in various categories are sold out with Match 11 - Brazil vs Italy - sold out in all categories. Tickets for the final match at Ellis Park are selling well, with all category four tickets sold out.
