Lebogang Seale
Cheers, a lone vuvuzela and a bus speeding past. This is how "exciting" the Brazilian team's arrival in Joburg was.
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Dozens of people who had been waiting for more than an hour to catch a glimpse of their heroes were left disappointed on Thursday morning after the bus ferrying the players sped past them and drove straight to the Fairway Hotel and Spa in Randburg.
"Is that it? Are they gonna come back? That was so disappointing," said Traneith Sivakumar. His wife, Mercy, interjected: "They didn't even wave back at us. They just looked at us angrily. We waited for more than an hour but it all happened in 10 seconds."
It seemed though that all was not lost on the players as star striker Kaka tweeted about his excitement shortly after arriving, saying there was a "great atmosphere". (Follow him on Twitter.com at @RealKaka)
Tight security may be to blame. Their bus was escorted by four police cars and about ten police officers, and several security guards were posted at the main gate while a police helicopter hovered above the hotel.
But for some, a glimpse was enough. A motorist stuck in morning traffic called Johannesburg's 702 radio station to say he had just passed the team bus - an experience that gave the Brazil fan "goosebumps".
Two Brazilian flags were placed at the entrance of the hotel where a large media contingent - some Brazilian - waited.
Brazil have been drawn in the same group as Portugal, Ivory Coast and North Korea. The team first meets North Korea at Johannesburg's Ellis Park stadium on June 15.
This breaking news flash was supplied exclusively to iol.co.za by the news desk at our sister title, the The Star
.
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