Zakumi, the official mascot of the 2010 FIFA World Cup, plays with a soccer ball as he makes an appearance for the media in Johannesburg, South Africa, Monday Sept. 22, 2008. [Themba Hadebe/AP]

Zakumi, the official mascot of the 2010 FIFA World Cup, plays with a soccer ball as he makes an appearance for the media in Johannesburg, South Africa, Monday Sept. 22, 2008. [Themba Hadebe/AP]

The tournament organizers said the character was "born" in 1994. The year was when apartheid ended. "Zakumi" can be understood as "come here" in southern African languages.

Danny Jordaan, the head of the 2010 World Cup organizing committee explained how the name of the mascot came about.

Danny Jordaan, CEO of the 2010 World Cup organizing committee, said, "Of course, Zakumi, as you know, the first "ZA" is South Africa, in the old days it used to be Zeit Africa. So 'ZA' is Zakumi is South Africa. "Kumi" is 10 in most of the African languages on the continent so we wanted a South African but an African icon and the name must carry the fact this is an African World Cup."

(CCTV September 23, 2008)