FIFA 2010 World Cup: Chocolate Footballs Sweeten Bitter Defeats
With only two more matches to go before curtains are drawn on the first ever football World Cup in Africa, the excitement for the big final is at its peak, as Spain and Netherlands search for their first title. The two European teams have a dream to fulfil and they are set to give it their absolute best as they fight for the greatest prize in international football.
On the other hand the event caught the imagination of the entire African continent especially the host nation South Africa that has buried the ghost of apartheid by staging the event successfully. As the Germans crashed out in the semi-final, millions mourned in the European nation and the disappointment was shared by one Kirsten Walter who earns her living by making chocolates and in the entire duration of the tournament she sold chocolates designed like small footballs. Walter was backing her host nation and Germany in the event and despite her favourite teams failing to win the tournament she doesn't let it show.
Walters is the owner of a chocolate factory in the city of Pretoria one of the three South African capitals. Her aim is to show the sweeter side of her real passion soccer and she spends hours on end to deliver a rich supply for chocolate and football lovers alike. Throughout the course of the tournament, Walter’s usual pralines and candy bars have been replaced by the hottest selling items from the start of the event, chocolate football accessories and lollies in team colours.
Interestingly it is not the footballs alone that are popular. World Cup trophies made by Walters have become equally popular amongst chocolate fans. "Well, South Africa is soccer-crazy right at the moment. The response was phenomenal. People are just very receptive to anything to do with soccer at the moment and it's being a luxury product, there is nothing better than sitting and eating some chocolate soccer balls while watching one of the games. So we had a very, very good response", Walters said.
Walters has been churning out 25,000 perfectly formed footballs. Unlike the tournament ball, called the Jabulani, that has not been even half as popular especially with goal-keepers and strikers in the tournament, who have failed to keep control of the ball as it flies around all over the place upsetting goalkeepers. The success of the chocolates has been financially rewarding for Walters and just like most kids her children enjoy them the most as they get to pick the ones they like the most that too for free.
Walters originally learned her skills in Switzerland; the Swiss provided one of the biggest upsets of the tournament defeating Spain in their opening match which had at one moment jeopardized the chances of progress of the finalists. She then relocated to South Africa and decided to set-up her own chocolate business in the Pretoria suburb of Villieria. Once there she opened her own factory and gave it the name 'Ile de Chocolate'. In the initial phase, Walters loaned the chocolate trophy moulds from Belgium, and gradually got the chance to produce for German and South African firms.
For Walters the choice of whom to support at the world cup was a tricky one as her parents hail from Germany, and while she lives in South Africa. She is keen on handing the Germans one of her chocolate trophies before they leave home, as they still have the South American Uruguayans to tackle in the third position play-off in Cape Town.
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