There’s more to see than Messi’s magic and Torres’ goals in Johannesburg this World Cup season. As football fever grips the globe, guest Scouter and Joburg local Khevna Naran tells you about the other games in town.

Eat

No matter what part of the world you’re in, pizza is the perfect pre-game food. For your hit, head to Piza e Vino in the chic Melrose Arch neighbourhood, where you can score delish pies straight out of a cheerily yellow wood fire oven. Breakfast here is awesome too – get the eggs Florentine, loaded with fresh spinach and served in a flaky pastry.

Also check out Koi, a fun little Asian place close to Sandton City, where you can take a break from all your mall shopping and tuck into dim sum, freshly steamed edamame beans, awesome sushi and silky miso soup.

Piza e Vino, The Piazza, Melrose Arch, Melrose North, R 60* per person; Koi, Shop 3, 24 Central Cnr, Fredman Drive and Gwen Lane, Sandton, visit http://www.koirest.co.za.

Drink

With so many places to visit, we suggest you shore up your stamina. Begin at Attic, a cocktail bar on 4th Avenue in the artsy Parkhurst neighbourhood, which serves the freshest Mojitos in the city; also try Windhoek Lager, a Namibian beer that locals favour. Half-time should be at Cocoon, a sultry lounge on Fredman Drive to fuel up at before a bout of hardcore dancing under mirrored walls at the super-glamorous Taboo. Thursday nights here are fabulous!

If you’re looking for local flavour, Moyo (the Zoo Lake branch is much nicer than the one on Melrose Square) is a good bet. Ranked amongst the best bars in the world, here you’ll find hookahs and floor cushions, waterfalls and live African music, traditional oxtail stews and a mean Kenyan Dawa cocktail.

Attic, 24 4th Avenue, Cnr 10th Street & 4th Avenue, Parkhurst, R 150 per person; Cocoon and Taboo, 24 Central Centre, Cnr Fredman Drive & Gwen Lane, Sandton; Moyo, Shop 5 1 Prince of Wales Drive, Zoo Lake Park, Parkview.

Shop

You may not have Ronaldo’s talent, but at Tillt you’ll definitely find sneakers with a powerful kick. This uber cool “street style” store stocks shoes by LA-based label Creative Leisure that come in a ton of colours from neon orange to bright gold, as well as pairs by Paez, a hard-to-find Argentinean line. Also look out for the Sneaker Freaker magazine. Goal!

The Rosebank African Market is more touristy, but hunt closely at this rooftop craft flea market and you’ll find plenty of trophies to take home, including beads, carvings, fabric, and even a real African djembe drum.

Tillt, 155 Smit Street, Braamfontein; Rosebank African Market, Mall of Rosebank.

See

You can soak up the greenery Joburg is so well known for (the city has more trees per square kilometre than any other metropolis in the world) at Zoo Lake, or visit the famous Apartheid Museum where patrons are segregated based on white and non-white tokens, randomly handed to them at the door.

But really, the greatest sporting event in the world is happening a few blocks away, so what in the world are you doing out of the stadium?

Zoo Lake, Corner of Jan Smuts Avenue and West World Street, across from the Johannesburg Zoo; Apartheid Museum, Northern Parkway Road, visit www.apartheidmuseum.org.

* One South African Rand is worth approximately Rs 6.

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