Named, “JABULANI” which means “to celebrate” in isiZulu, the new adidas ball will be the only ball used during the month-long tournament that starts in June.11 is a big number that relates to the “JABULANI” ball as it sports an impressive 11 different colors. This was chosen for the 11 players who take the field for every team during the tournament, the 11 official languages of South Africa, (isiZulu is spoken by 25% of the people), and the 11 South African tribes that make the country extremely diverse.
The ball’s design was created to, “lend the ball a unique appearance in African spirit. Like the outer facade of Johannesburg’s Soccer City Stadium, individual design elements capture the colorfulness of South Africa.”