Parliamentarians are known for launching verbal attacks on each other on a daily basis, but on Thursday they united around the cause of Football Fridays.

A cellphone company handed over hundreds of football jerseys at Parliament on Thursday. The freebies had MPs jumping at the chance to get out of their suits and ties.
 
Even the always serious Speaker of Parliament Max Sisulu loosened up when he laid eyes on his new soccer shirt.
 
Independent Democrats MP Joe McGluwa said politics needed to be sidelined for the 2010 Fifa World Cup.

“It is for us to take away all our differences and put all our support behind Bafana Bafana,” he said.

African National Congress MP Patrick Chauke agreed, saying it was only "about soccer, so put [your] caps aside and then we become ordinary South Africans."

The Congress of the People’s Nick Koornhof said teamwork would be needed off the pitch as well.

“If we don’t win [the World Cup], we must win the hearts and minds of the world,” he said. 

Parliamentarians said they intended joining hands to make sure they help the country score a vital international goal by making the tournament a success.