Hundreds of Dutch fans paid 3000 euros (about R29000) for a 21-hour experience of South Africa. And they didn't expect to sleep a wink.

Ten buses packed with Dutch fans who bought last-minute tickets to the World Cup final descended in a sea of orange on Pretoria's Church Square yesterday afternoon before catching a train to Soccer City, Johannesburg.

The Dutch tour group Oranje Camping received more precious passes to the final after Fifa released last-minute tickets late on Thursday night.

They chartered two planes from Amsterdam for an additional 375 Dutch fans who wanted to see their team play in their third World Cup final. They were praying yesterday that their team would lift the Cup this time.

Three orange camper vans carrying die-hard fans who have driven across Africa from Amsterdam led the parade into Church Square. A young couple in the noisy crowd told The Times that they forked out à6000 - more than R57 000 - for their one-day World Cup journey.

"It was a quick decision for a once-in-a-lifetime experience," they said.

The fans, some of whom landed at Johannesburg's OR Tambo International Airport at 7am yesterday, said they would be back at the airport for their return flight at 4am today after watching the final.

One Netherlands fan, wearing clogs and holding a beer, smiled and said: "I don't feel tired now."

The exuberant group sang and danced with South African World Cup volunteers, who were equally excited to be part of the parade as they marched from the centre of the city to the main railway station.

There was only one rule with this crowd of fans - wear orange: from wigs and whacky caps to long socks, suits, waistcoats and stockings. Dutch fans with face paint stopped to paint flags on the cheeks of excited local children who had joined the parade.

A woman dressed in a white lace cheese-maid outfit posed for photos. When asked about her first impression of South Africa, she said: "The people, oh my word, they're so friendly!"

Another orange-clad fan, Jaap Dietz, from Breda, said: "I'm here to tell the Africans that a vuvuzela is a stupid instrument and a few 100 years behind this trumpet."

He blasted a tune on his trumpet and stirred up the crowd.

The parade drew plenty of attention from people living in flats along the street, who waved at the Dutch fans and blew their vuvuzelas from their windows.

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