Visitors were quick to note how South Africans shifted allegiance – from Bafana Bafana to Baghana Baghana. As the green and gold faded from the fixture list, locals sought to shine the Black Stars of Africa. This was not an example of fickleness, however. Rather, it was a meaningful act of inclusion: South Africans are Africans.
And what can Africans do to present the continent in the best possible light? How can the positive associations that surrounded the World Cup be progressed? To find the answers, South Africans must continue engaging with neighbours to the north.