KEEP BLOWING: World Cup fever matches the omnipresent sound of vuvuzelas , but what will the legacy be? (XINHUA)

Clearly, China is rooting for the South Africans.

At least that was the case in bars across Beijing as crowds coagulated to watch the FIFA World Cup curtain raiser between the Rainbow Nation and Mexico on June 11. The deafening whoops that erupted when Bafana Bafana scored the first goal of the game did not fade quietly into the night, unlike the scattered cheers for Mexico later on. And though the match ended in a draw, spirits stayed high.

The elation surrounding the World Cup is curiously powerful. Once the tournament starts, it stays at a high pitch – sometimes long after the competition has concluded. In France, much-needed economic recovery followed the country's hosting of the FIFA event in 1998; a number of economists attribute this partly to increased consumer confidence and spending that rode in on a wave of World Cup euphoria.

Whether South Africa's economy will benefit similarly remains to be seen, but in an April report issued by consulting behemoth Grant Thornton, the figure "$12 billion" was bandied about. That's quite a boost. It's needed, too: the tournament, preparations and all, is costing South Africa $3.9 billion, an increase from the original estimate of $2.2 billion. Time will tell if World Cup euphoria in 2010 has the same leverage as it did in 1998.

Positive outcomes are not simple equations, though. There's no a + b = c formula that can be applied, especially in football. Other variables need to muscle their way in.

In the opening match between Mexico and South Africa, Bafana Bafana appeared to have a hard time holding onto the ball. At first, Mexico seemed to control its course at least 70 percent of the time. Cheering spectators in the stadium (to call them elated would be an understatement) seemed to have no sway. What was the factor that changed the tide, which led to that crucial goal? Perhaps it was the vuvuzelas – their overwhelming drone reverberated even through television screens halfway across the globe in Beijing.

Possession of the ball evened out as the match progressed, with Mexico in possession 53 percent of the time, and South Africa 47 percent. Viewers watching in the Chinese capital as players darted ant-like around the screen, debated football plays. A large swath of the crowd lacking South African accents was decked out in yellow and green jerseys – most likely hot ticket items in Beijing markets in recent weeks. And even in the midst of the sheer grime of endless bottles of beer littering tables and cigarette butts flicked every which way, a giddy, unsullied kind of excitement radiated as fans urged Bafana Bafana on.

The Chinese are major football fans, but with its national team having failed to qualify for the World Cup this year, choosing which of the 32 teams in competition to root for can be a tricky decision. The enthusiasm for South Africa, though, makes sense: China is watching another country go through what it went through during the 2008 Olympic Games.

It's an affinity, pure and simple. Of course these things work in mysterious ways, but if this positivity has any strength to it, its long-lasting impact will be as notable as the "euphoria" effect felt in France 12 years ago.