JOHANNESBURG — FIFA has a message for all those vuvuzela haters: Buzz off.
Despite criticism from World Cup TV viewers around the globe that the swarm-of-bees sound from the plastic horns is stinging their ears, the organization left no doubt Monday that the uniquely African soundtrack is here to stay.
"I have always said that Africa has a different rhythm, a different sound," Sepp Blatter, president of soccer's governing body, said in a Twitter post. "I don't see banning the music traditions of fans in their own country."
He went on to ask, "Would you want to see a ban on the fan traditions in your country?"
FIFA and Blatter have strongly backed the use of vuvuzelas since they were introduced to the wider football world at the Confederations Cup test event in South Africa exactly a year ago.
With a much broader audience for the World Cup, the vuvuzelas have drawn strong reaction from Boston to Bhutan. "What is the buzzing noise at soccer games?" was one of the week's top-searched questions online, according to Yahoo.
"I am a casual football (soccer) fan, have been anticipating the World Cup since a recent trip to Europe. However, I can't stand that noise that drones on throughout the broadcast, so I will not be watching," American Michael DiSalvo wrote in an e-mail to Associated Press columnist John Leicester.
ESPN has received some complaints, but "not an overwhelming amount," network spokesman Bill Hofheimer said. Al-Jazeera, South Korean broadcaster SBS, TF1 in France and Brazil's BandSports also have heard from viewers unhappy about the racket.
WHAT'S IN A NAME? North Korea's coach bristled at reporters' questions Monday on the eve of the team's opening World Cup match against Brazil.
Coach Kim Jong Hun, appearing at an official news conference at Ellis Park Stadium, was fine answering the first question about injuries.
"Nobody is injured," he said. "They're all in top shape."
But the second question, from a South Korean journalist asking about his team's tactics, raised his ire when the reporter, speaking in Korean, referred to his country as "North Korea" — rather than the nation's official name: the Democratic People's Republic of Korea.
"There's such no country called 'North Korea,' " he said testily. "Next question."
Though commonly called "North Korea" abroad, the nation refers to itself as the "DPRK" in English or "Chosun" in Korean, the pre-colonial name of the Korean peninsula.
FIFA refers to North Korea as DPR Korea, while South Korea is listed as Korea Republic.
The exchange brought to light the political and linguistic differences between the two Koreas, which have been divided into north and south since 1945 and separated by a heavily fortified border since the Korean War of the early 1950s.
South Koreans call their country "Hanguk," and refer to North Korea as "Bukhan" — North Korea.
North Koreans call the entire peninsula "Chosun," and refer to South Korea as "Nam Chosun" — South Korea.
Kim also was asked whether North Korean leader Kim Jong Il had a say in the selection of players. The FIFA media official cut the reporter off, reminding journalists not to ask political questions.
The official also diverted a question about whether North Korea's games would be aired live in the North. The South Korean broadcaster bearing the broadcast rights for the entire Korean peninsula has said it would not feed the coverage live to the North, as in the past, due to political tensions.
Kim said briefly that he was "not involved" in the matter.
Both Koreas are at the World Cup for the first time, with North Korea making an appearance after a 44-year absence and South Korea qualifying for the eighth time.
GRASS UNDER SCRUTINY: The coaches of Slovenia and Algeria each blamed lackluster performances in their Group C match on the surface at Peter Mokaba Stadium in Polokwane, which hosted the first World Cup game played on artificial grass.
The surface at the Polokwane venue is made of natural grass and synthetic fibers.
Robert Koren scored with a 25-yard shot that Algeria goalkeeper Fawzi Chaouchi misjudged and allowed to bounce into the net off his arm in the 79th minute, giving Slovenia a 1-0 win Sunday.
"I think Slovenia used the conditions better, which put our goalkeeper off," Algeria coach Rabah Saadane said. "The ball and the turf caused problems for both teams, especially by playing a long cross, you had to be so careful to judge it right."
He got support from his Slovenian counterpart Matjaz Kek, who also disliked the conditions despite his team winning a World Cup game for the first time.
"I don't agree with this turf ... it's a different game," Kek said. "We never played on such a surface and had just an hour of practice the day before the match to get adjusted to it. It's not an excuse ... but it's certainly different to what we are used to."