NEW YORK - Bafana Bafana is returning to the FIFA World Cup stage.
The last time they were there was when South Africa hosted in 2010, but the excitement in this year's host country seems to be dampening.
Some have attributed it to high costs and travel restrictions in the United States.
Others blame it all on what has been dubbed the 'Trump Slump'.
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The showpiece tournament has been dominated by headlines about expensive ticket prices, with premium seats for the final costing more than $8,000 (R130,000) and resale prices climbing even higher and in New York, the cost of taking a train to matches in New Jersey was going to cost $150 (R2,450), but that's since been lowered to $98 (R1,600), amid public outrage.
Officials forecast that the FIFA World Cup will generate $3.3 billion US dollars for the New Jersey-New York region. But that might seem overly optimistic, because right now, hotel bookings are well below expectations.
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The global game is a chance to bring nations together, but America's political climate may be seeping into the sporting world, with foreign fans hesitant about travelling to the US.
eNCA's Mitch McCann reports from New York in the video above.