SAfrica launches ´Football Fridays´ in World Cup buildup

South Africa wants to change to the nation’s wardrobe in the run-up to the 2010 World Cup, urging people to wear football jerseys every Friday until the kick-off in June.

“We are encouraging everyone to adopt Football Friday and to wear the shirt of their favourite team. Obviously, we’d prefer it if their favourite team were the national team,” said Paul Bannister, head of the International Marketing Council of South Africa (IMC).

The IMC is heading the government’s efforts to promote the games, having already launched TV commercials to promote the “diski” — a dance that mimics footballers’ moves.

Organisers also hope to encourage South Africans to learn their national anthem, which is sung in five of the country’s most spoken languages, leaving many people stumbling over some of the verses.

“Soccer is the most popular game of the country, but many South Africans don’t know the anthem to support their team because it’s written in five languages,” Bannister said.

To help South Africans learn, Bannister plans to launch a new cell phone ring tone that plays the anthem.