PRETORIA June 17 (Reuters) - The car horns and vuvuzelas were silent on Thursday as broken-hearted South Africans digested their team's disappointing World Cup performance.
The overflowing bins on Pretoria's streets were signs of a good party but the strange quiet signalled the hangover from the 3-0 defeat by Uruguay that made it unlikely the hosts would progress to the knockout rounds.
"This team broke our hearts. We're in our own country," tutted waiter Brian Zikhale.
His brother Mzo nodded in agreement as behind them a couple of customers sipped strong coffee while masochistically watching a replay of the previous evening's match.
"We were supposed to win," said Mzo. "Bafana Bafana don't have fighting spirit. People are suffering now. Fewer people will watch the next game."
The stalls that had lined the streets the day before doing a brisk trade in 'plug-a-zela' earplugs had disappeared and customers would have no use for them for the first day since the tournament started.