Posted on 07/08/2010 1:50:13 PM PDT by MinorityRepublican
JOHANNESBURG — For some South Africans, there is still a "home" team to cheer for in the World Cup final.
When the Netherlands faces Spain on Sunday at Soccer City, a good part of the Afrikaner population will be watching closely, and mostly because of their Dutch roots.
"I feel a strong connection to them because of my heritage," said Anja Bredell, a 25-year-old fashion design student from Pretoria. "I also have blonde hair, blue eyes and fair skin like most of the Dutch."
The Dutch East India Company established its first settlement in Cape Town in 1652, creating what became the Afrikaans culture. More and more Dutchmen settled in the Western Cape in the ensuing years, and it is still home to many Afrikaners.
"I certainly feel a connection to the Netherlands, and I feel like one of them as my great-grandparents are Dutch and because Afrikaners are possibly closer to them than to any other team that played in this World Cup," said Pieter Seyffert, a 24-year-old professional cyclist from Johannesburg.
Besides the bygone cultural connections between the Afrikaners and their forebears from the Netherlands, the two peoples also share a language — though the Afrikaans dialect may get some stares from people on the streets of Amsterdam.
"As Afrikaners, we do care whether the Netherlands win just because we have a connection to them," said Judith Visser, a 21-year-old student from Vanderbijlpark, south of Johannesburg. "I think half of my family cheer for the Netherlands because of this reason."
After the Dutch migrants, known as "Boers," created settlements throughout much of what has become South Africa, English people started to arrive in the country, creating a bitter rivalry that resulted in the 1899-1902 Anglo-Boer War.
(Excerpt) Read more at google.com ...
Netherlands' John Heitinga, front right, carries Netherlands' Wesley Sneijder, front left, as they celebrate following the World Cup semifinal soccer match between Uruguay and the Netherlands at the Green Point stadium in Cape Town, South Africa, Tuesday, July 6, 2010. Netherlands defeated Uruguay 3-2.
“There’s only two things I hate in this world: People who are intolerant of other people’s cultures and the Dutch.” - Nigel Powers (Austin Powers Goldmember)
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