JOHANNESBURG (AP) — Pop star Shakira's official World Cup anthem "Waka Waka" has received an unofficial "No, no" from South Africans.
The song, which is a collaboration with South African band Freshlyground, was released to radio stations last week but has not hit the right note with football fans in the host country.
"It’s horrible," local fan Lindi Munonde said. "I’m not standing for it. I mean what is our president doing about it?"
"Waka Waka — Time for Africa" takes its inspiration from Cameroonian music, but South Africans aren’t convinced Colombian singer Shakira is the right person to represent Africa’s first World Cup.
"Really, I mean, how is Shakira going to sing the African part of it?" said Nomaswazi Thomo, another local fan from Johannesburg.
The "Whenever, Wherever" star is to travel to South Africa to sing the new anthem, alongside Freshlyground, before the July 11 World Cup final at the 94,000-seat Soccer City stadium near Soweto.
The 33-year-old Shakira is one of a string of international artists also performing at FIFA’s June 10 Kickoff concert to mark the start of the tournament.
The Kickoff lineup, which includes American artists Alicia Keys and Black Eyed Peas, was criticized in South Africa, where locals felt their own musicians had been sidelined. World Cup organizers have now agreed to add more local artists.
Radio stations in South Africa say there has also been a strong reaction to the Waka Waka song.
"I love it that South Africans are just coming together as South Africans and saying, ‘We’ve got our own people and it’s an African World Cup. It’s ours,’" 702 Talk Radio presenter Jenny Cryws-Williams said. "We are going to put on a fantastic World Cup. Why don’t we have South Africans doing it for us?"
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GARBAGE COLLECTORS?: Australia and New Zealand have unveiled their jerseys for the World Cup, and calling them garbage wouldn’t be stretching the point.
The jerseys are made from recycled polyester taken from landfill sites in Japan and Taiwan, and Australia defender Craig Moore modeled the new green-and-gold Australia strip at Sydney Harbour.
"I think the main difference is that it’s a lot lighter," Moore said of the new shirt, which also includes the Australian coat of arms and the motto "Never Say Never" just above the heart.
The Netherlands will also be wearing "green" shirts, with the team’s traditional orange jerseys encompassing about eight bottles worth of recycled plastic.
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JORDAAN’S PLAN: World Cup organizing committee chief executive officer Danny Jordaan’s plan to bring the tournament to South Africa was hatched 16 years ago when he was in the United States.
"It’s been a winding road that started and ended here in the States. Our first press conference was at O’Hare Airport in 1994 when the United States was the host," Jordaan said. "It was there we started talking about the World Cup and an African presence in the World Cup.
"At the time we had three places in the tournament, and we walked away with five for Africa out of that FIFA conference."
And the seed was planted for pursuing a World Cup staged on the African continent, specifically in his nation.
Now, Jordaan is hopeful the World Cup will provide a financial legacy of more than $80 million. Taking note of how US Soccer saw benefits of $50 million from the ’94 event, he emphasized the importance of seizing the moment.
"There will be a substantial legacy for football in our country," he said. "Over and above that, there will be better stadiums and training facilities for football. This has been the first time there was a massive investment to provide these facilities."
With just over a month to go before kickoff, Jordaan can’t hide his enthusiasm.
"You must not miss that party," Jordaan said with a wide smile. "We want to ensure that our country remains at the top of the mind of the world."
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SUMMON NEYMAR: Brazilians are continuing their campaign to have young striker Neymar in the 2010 World Cup.
Fans have set up a website begging Brazil coach Dunga to select the 18-year-old player for next month’s tournament in South Africa.
The website www.dungalevaoneymar.com.br (summon Neymar, Dunga) has nearly 14,000 digital signatures from fans supporting the player.
The page has a photo of Neymar wearing a Brazil shirt and a text that ends with the phrase: "Let’s do it together, Brazil, let’s summon Neymar!"
The striker has been one of the hottest players in Brazilian football, leading Santos to impressive victories and gaining comparisons with some of the great Brazilian players from past and present.
Neymar played for Brazil’s youth teams but has never been called up for the main national team. Dunga has hinted there will be no surprises in his World Cup squad when it is announced on May 11.
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INSIDE INFORMATION: Greece defender Sotiris Kyrgiakos is looking forward to facing Liverpool teammates Javier Mascherano and Maxi Rodriguez in his team’s final Group B match against Argentina.
"When the World Cup gets a bit closer, we will talk a lot more about the game," Kyrgiakos said. "Argentina are a very good side with many good attacking players. There’s (Lionel) Messi, (Carlos) Tevez, (Sergio) Aguero, (Angel) di Maria and many others, so any team in the tournament will have a difficult game against them."
The 30-year-old Kyrgiakos missed Greece’s 2004 European Championship campaign because of injury, but he hopes the spirit of that shock title win will inspire the Greeks in South Africa at their first World Cup since 1994.
Before facing Argentina in Polokwane, Greece will play South Korea and Nigeria.
"Our aim has to be to get out of the group first," Kyrgiakos said. "From there as we proved in 2004 at the European Championships, anything can happen. The people are very proud that we have qualified for only the second time, so we can’t let them down."
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NOT SO HARD: Uruguay striker Diego Forlan is nearing the end of a long season with Atletico Madrid, but he’s still looking forward to playing even more games at the World Cup.
"We’ve got so little time with the national team and, with this being a World Cup, we have to take advantage," said Forlan, who has helped Atletico reach the final of both the Europa League and the Copa del Rey. "We’re all motivated regardless of circumstances."
Atletico has played more games than any other Spanish club this season, but that hasn’t stopped Forlan from thinking about the tournament in South Africa — the first time the World Cup will be played in Africa.
Two-time champion Uruguay will play in Group A with 1998 winner France, Mexico and host South Africa.
"I’m looking forward to everything: to being there, being with the national team to play big teams. You never know what is going to happen," Forlan said. "The atmosphere is going to be very nice."
