20100627
reuters

As Alvin Kaidar mingled with the opposition ahead of a shanty town soccer match on a red dirt clearing, he spoke of his fears -- not about the upcoming game, but simply of being able to stay alive.

Kaidar, in his early 20s from the Democratic Republic of Congo, was taking part in a match between local South Africans from a nearby township and refugees from a squatter camp, many of whom fear a return of the deadly xenophobic attacks that struck the country in 2008.

"The majority of us foreigners are scared because we don't have anywhere to run to," he told Reuters on the sidelines, as players warmed up with a traditional dance and song, on a bright winter's day.

"We are scared. I wish they would turn their minds so that we can live another life, you know, to be together like Africans. But they don't like us.

"They all tell us, in the shop, wherever you go, they say these people after the World Cup will just chase us."

The World Cup in South Africa has fuelled a sense of pride in the country and the continent but rumours are rife that the sporadic attacks which killed 62 migrants and left 100,000 homeless in 2008 will resume once the tournament is over.

POTENTIAL FOR VIOLENCE

The potential for violence runs high because the foreign migrants are seen by locals as willing to work for paltry wages, taking away menial jobs and basic services.