For a whole month starting from today, the world will be morphing into party mode to welcome the FIFA World Cup 2010. Regardless of which country you're from or the language you speak, the 'beautiful game' unites people across all barriers.
However, for citizens of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, whose team faces Brazil in Johannesburg's Ellis Park on June 15, there will be little to look forward to, as live transmission of the match is banned thanks to the Communist state's autocratic media control.
Football history, however, proves that as long as you have enthusiasm for the sport, politics and boundaries matter but little.
Though I enjoy football, I watch with real fervour only when there's a major tournament on.
The last major one that really impressed me was the Asian Cup 2007, in which the Iraqi national football team emerged the winners, against all odds.
Having followed the tournament from the very beginning, I saw how the team savoured every victory, which is saying something for a team that underwent torture and death threats for a poor performance under Uday Hussein, who later met his death in a gun fight with US troops.
The players arrived in Southeast Asia for the tournament, which was held with the recent loss of family members in the conflict at home hanging over their heads.
Even before they faced Saudi Arabia in the finals, the celebration of their victory over South Korea in the semi-finals was marred by a suicide bombing in a Baghdad street, which killed 50 people.
After Iraq lifted the cup, I turned to Al Baghdadia TV to see reporters crying on air as they announced their country had won the tournament.
For a day, it didn't matter which sect the players were from as for the 90 minutes of the match, the guns were silent in Baghdad and people experienced something that felt like peace.
South Africa this year becomes the first African nation to host the World Cup.
Commentators agree that this year will be different, as companies seeking to slash expenses owing to the recession have left the places usually taken by corporate guests to be filled in by lots of true football supporters, which include many ordinary South Africans.
I haven't yet decided which team I'll be supporting.
It was France for the last World Cup, but without Zidane I don't think I'll find Les Bleus worth supporting.
As I support Real Madrid and their wonderful goalkeeper Iker Casillas, I think I might shift my loyalties this time to Spain.
I have always been a supporter of underdogs in most tournaments, ever since my favourites Greece lifted the Euro Cup in 2004.
I do hope that South Africa's Bafana Bafana (which means 'the boys' in the Nguni language) put up a good show, both as hosts and as the national team.
Regardless of the outcome, there will, at least for a month, be something more to look forward to in the papers than reports of national disasters or terror attacks.
I don't think even Kim Jong-il's iron-fisted reign will put a damper on the spirit of football lovers in North Korea, for football, more than anything, gives everybody a reason to celebrate!
¥ Ms Gnana is a former Bahrain resident now studying in Mumbai.
Copyright 2010 Al Hilal Publishing and Marketing Group
'The World Cup of Joy', Gulf Daily News, June 11, 2010, Jennifer Gnana
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