It's mildly terrifying, unquestionably exhilarating, and awfully, awfully soon: 100 days from today, the event that's shimmered so hazily on our collective horizon ever since we won the right to host it, will finally get underway.

The World Cup is coming to South Africa, and from the bright and shiny new stadiums to the delight and anticipation that's infecting the country, we're ready for football's definitive show to have its greatest outing yet.

There are celebrations and carnivals across South Africa today to mark the final hundred days. Victor Matfield announced on Twitter this morning that he had his Bafana jersey on for the day; no mention of Gurthro Steenkamp having borrowed one of Benni's jerseys, but when the Bulls captain is sufficiently caught up in World Cup fever in the middle of a Super 14 campaign, you can imagine how many of his countrymen are similarly wound up.

A few tweaks are still needed, certainly: the Mbombela Stadium is currently primed for beach volleyball rather than soccer, the overseas tourist numbers are likely to be some way short of initial estimates, and several games are likely to resemble SuperSport Series cricket matches for crowd support (New Zealand versus Slovakia in Rustenberg, Algeria versus Slovenia in Polokwane, and Honduras versus Chile in Nelspruit are all unlikely to be sold out come kick-off). And poor Jomo Sono's chances of parading his belly up and down the touchline as Bafana coach are looking very slim with just over three months to go.

But the rest of the stadia are looking in good shape, with Jerome Valcke almost as gushing about Cape Town's new Robbie Fleck Stadium yesterday as he was about Charlize Theron at the World Cup draw in December; fewer overseas tourists does at least mean the prospect for more (and cheaper) tickets for those of us not blessed with the euro or dollar as base currency; and most importantly of all, the whole country appears to be genuinely swept up in the imminent thrill of a World Cup on home ground. In just 100 days, the planet's focus is firmly on South Africa, and whether you have tickets or not, you're going to be part of one almighty football carnival; after all, if we're this excited with a hundred days still to go...

What to expect, between now and then? More whinging from the English press, who moaned about too much luxury in Germany four years ago, and are now having daily tantrums about the Spartan alternative lined up for them in Rustenberg (wait 'til they find out FIFA has moved France, Uruguay and Mexico to a trailer park in Brakpan to help ensure the host nation doesn't crash out in round one). More smiling Zimbabweans flogging team merchandise at the William Nicol off ramp. Constant queries over Benni's weight/fitness/form/commitment. And, as every day ticks over, a growing elation at football's global party preparing to kick up its heels in South Africa.

There'll still be little pockets of opposition, holding out desperately for a failed tournament: dastardly Australians, thwarted in their plans to manipulate the media into having the World Cup moved east; embittered South Africans who can't come to terms with the bigger picture; naysayers from abroad who insisted an African World Cup simply couldn't work. With 100 days to go, those cries are barely heard above the anticipatory roar of vuvuzelas, hailing the arrival of a month of football majesty ? and giving us all a platform to illustrate why 2010 couldn't have found a better home. 100 days to go? I can't wait.

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Contact Dan at dan@metropolis.co.za