Soccer ... the South African way!

Some South African soccer lingo and soccer-related words you’ll need to know before the 2010 World Cup starts! Laduuuuumaaaa!

Bafana Bafana is the name of the South African National Soccer Team. Bafana Bafana simply means ‘the boys the boys.’ The female South African Soccer Team is known as Bayana Bayana – meaning ‘the girls the girls.’

South African soccer fans have their own passionate way of talking about the beautiful game.

The under-23 South African football team are known as the Amagluglug (sound of guzzling) which is a joking reference to the South African petrol company, Sasol, that sponsors the team and gives it ‘the drive’ to succeed.

The first thing you will notice at any South African soccer game is the sound of the Vuvezela a long plastic trumpet that you will come to know as the sound of 2010.

If a goal is scored you are likely to hear soccer commentators and soccer fans shouting ‘Laduuuuuuuma!’ (la-doo-mah) as soon as the ball hits the back of the net. Laduma is Zulu for ‘it thunders’ or ‘thunder coming through’.

An ‘eShibobo’ is when a clever striker sticks the ball through the middle of the opponent’s legs. In Europe, it is called a ‘nutmeg’. A ‘bazooka’ is style of shot – which is pretty self-evident.

The 2010 World Cup is being called an ‘African World Cup’ – because it is going to be full of colourful lingo and character!