We’re here! More or less intact too – after a panicked search for our four filming cases in Johannesburg airport, we found them just sitting on a trolley, having been dumped there by the ‘outsize baggage’ department. Oh, and the baggage handlers nicked our sunglasses from our cases – nothing else, just the sunglasses…weird.

The opening ceremony was terrific – led by the South Africa team (to thunderous applause, of course), followed by everyone’s second favourites in football, Brazil. Unless you’re Brazilian.

Then Team Nicaragua, resplendent in their white strips emblazoned with the BMS logo (that was as much a surprise to us as to anyone else)! Teams from the Philippines, Tanzania, India, Ukraine and the UK made up the rest of the procession, filling the soccer hall in Durban University with colour, high hopes and national pride.

It’s noticeable that the Brazilians walk like winners – they have a swagger to their warm-up that’s frankly a little frightening.

Anyway, let the games begin!

Mark (our man now in Durban)