World Cup match unites South African and Czech communities: "A bit of home in Atlanta"

The FIFA Men's World Cup returns to Atlanta on Thursday as Czechia and South Africa face off in a critical Group A match at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Kickoff is set for noon.

Ahead of the match, South Africans living in metro Atlanta shared what the game means to them as they prepare to cheer on their home country.

The president and members of the South African Chamber of Commerce in the USA said they plan to attend the match and are excited to support South Africa on one of soccer's biggest stages. The tournament marks South Africa's return to the World Cup after its last appearance in 2010.

"Let's play to win. Let's sing our anthems. Let's be proud immigrants and expats," said Vanda Saitowitz, a South African native who lives in Sandy Springs.

"For us to connect back with South Africa, it gives us a sense of national unity and national pride, and it brings a bit of home right to our doorstep here in Atlanta," said Neil Diamond, a South African native living in Atlanta.

Diamond also showed off some of the fan gear he plans to wear to the match.

"This is traditional fan gear. It is known as a mokorotlo wrapper. It comes out of our history, where mineworkers used to repurpose their hats so they could add some color to sporting events," Diamond said. "As you can see, it's very colorful. It goes hand in hand with the vuvuzela, which is an instrument that we play at sports matches."

Czech supporters are also eager to back their national team.

At Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport's international terminal, the Honorary Consulate of the Czech Republic welcomed international visitors ahead of the match.

The event featured food and music as officials celebrated Czechia's participation in the World Cup and welcomed fans arriving in Atlanta.

Organizers said their goal was to build excitement for visitors as they arrived in the city.

"We will win, that's for sure," said Milada Bohackova, a Czech native living in Atlanta. "It's exactly 30 years after the Olympics that were here. We were really successful that time and won a lot of medals, so I hope we will win the World Cup."

Both South Africa and Czechia enter Thursday's match with 0-1 records and are looking for their first victory of the tournament.