Former President Nelson Mandela wears a hard hat, flag and vuvuzela around his arm at the Nelson Mandela Foundation in JohannesburgIf you thought the soundtrack to the World Cup would be the chanting of England fans and a spot of cheering and whistling, you're in for a shock.
Prepare your ears for the 3ft long, 127-decibel 'vuvuzela' - a £2 plastic trumpet which will provide a deafening background to the tournament.
It is louder than a chainsaw, noisier than a lawnmower and even more ear-splitting than a referee's whistle - and it could damage your hearing in as little as 15 minutes.
Crowds in South Africa have been blowing the horn at matches since the early 1990s because they believe it intimidates opposing teams.
But it could also drive armchair fans to distraction as it is beamed in to living rooms across Britain.
A boy blows a vuvuzela during a training session of the Japanese national football team at Outeniqua Park in George, South AfricaThe trumpet, which gets its name from the 'vuvu' sound it makes, has already been used to greet supporters arriving in South Africa ahead of the tournament beginning on Friday.
But just two hours after England's friendly match against a South African team this week, commentators and broadcasters complained of severe headaches caused by a vuvuzela cacophony that lasted more than four hours.
Yesterday, reports in South Africa also warned that extended exposure to the vuvuzela could result in long-term hearing loss. But FIFA president Sepp Blatter has rejected calls for them to be banned, saying they are as typical of South African football as bongo drums or chants in other countries.
However, FIFA has warned that if just one is thrown on the pitch during a game, they will be forbidden.
A boy holding a South African flag blows a vuvuzela in the Soweto neighbourhood in Johannesburg, South Africasource: dailymail
