SA FAN AT 38 MATCHES

By the end of the World Cup Thulani Ngcobo will have travelled 17 000km, endured a lot of vitamin jabs to boost his sleep-deprived system, and will probably no longer be able to face a FIFA-sanctioned stadium hot dog.

But on Sunday, the World Cup final will be the football fanatic's 38th match, after winning an uber-fan challenge's grand prize that made him the Guinness World Records holder for most games watched at football's biggest event.

"Everyone in the world would like to be me," said the 29-year-old asset controller from Pretoria.

Guinness set the never-attempted record at 20 games - which Ngcobo passed on June 25, with a certificate handed over after post-match footage and witness forms confirmed his presence from the first to final whistle.

The schedule was planned for months with a car waiting outside stadiums as he galloped between host cities, with one day clocking up 3 000km for four games in 48 hours.

A cancelled flight once saw him arrive two minutes after kick-off, one of seven matches that didn't count toward his record, which will stand officially at 31.

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AfricanTech said:

He could sleep on the plane

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"I haven't missed a game," said Ngcobo, who snatched sleep while travelling but says he immediately revived once in stadiums.

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