Zakumi the dreadlocked leopard ...

ZAKUMI  the dreadlocked leopard has been unveiled as the official mascot of the 2010 World Cup in South Africa .... "Za" stands for South Africa and "Kumi" means the number 10 in various Afrikaans languages ...

As a marketer (I think I still am -- haha) and appreciator of clever branding and product associations, I take my hat off to FIFA for bringing us Kazumi .... I think this cute guy is totally GOAL!

"Zakumi represents the people, geography and spirit of South Africa, personifying in essence the 2010 FIFA World Cup. We are certain we will have a lot of fun with him in the lead-up to and during the FIFA Confederations Cup and the FIFA World Cup,"  - FIFA Secretary General Jerome Valcke