June 13 – Danny Jordaan, the chief executive of South Africa 2010, has admitted that he would rather fans sung than blew the vuvuzela at World Cup matches after international broadcasters complained.
Tournament organisers have spoke of the possibility of banning the plastic trumpets from inside stadiums following from broadcasters, players and fans.
The noise has been likened to a herd of stampeding elephants or the drone of a thousand bees.
Jordaan told Sportsweek on BBC Radio 5: ”We’ve tried to get some order.
“We have asked for no vuvuzelas during national anthems or stadium announcements.
“It’s difficult but we’re trying to manage the best we can.
We’ve had some broadcasters and individuals [complaining] and it’s something we are evaluating on an on-going basis.”
Local fans say the honking horn is part of South African football-supporting tradition, and the vuvuzela plays the part of a 12th man for the Bafana Bafana team.
But critics say it is a danger to hearing and drowns out the singing loved by so many international supporters.
And others say it is just plain annoying.
Fans arriving at OR Tambo Airport are greeted straight of the plane with loud blasts echoing around the arrivals hall.
France’s captain Patrice Evra (pictured) has already blamed the noise generated by the vuvuzelas for his side’s poor showing in their opening group game against Uruguay, which finished goalless.
He said: “We can’t sleep at night because of the vuvuzelas.
“People start playing them from 6am.
“We can’t hear one another out on the pitch because of them.”
Jordaan admitted that he is not a fan of the vuvuzela.
He said: “I would prefer singing.
“It’s always been a great generator of a wonderful atmosphere in stadiums and I would try to encourage them to sing.
“In the days of the struggle [against apartheid] we were singing, all through our history it’s our ability to sing that inspired and drove the emotions.”