With the nation full of hope and fans across the land beginning to dare to dream of success this summer, scientists from Mindlab at the Sussex Innovation Centre have discovered a way that all of us fans can actually help the boys win. Exclusively revealing the results of the experiment today, the scientists are now on a campaign to get the country thinking 'Cabanga' this summer.
Throughout March and April, the scientists, led by Dr David Lewis-Hodgson, undertook the research in order to investigate the influence that fans could have during a game - popularly known as the '12th man' effect. They specifically focused on uncovering a particular word that would have the biggest emotional effect on both the players and the crowd during a game of football. That word is 'Cabanga', which means 'imagine' in Zulu.
Upon the discovery of this powerful new phrase, a facebook page is now calling upon the fans of England to help make a positive impact, and is on a mission to get 90,000 fans (the capacity of Wembley). Says Dr Lewis, "For 'Cabanga' to have a significant effect on the team, it will need thousands of people believing it. Cabanga is not just about chanting on the terraces, it is about thinking positively to stamp out those inevitable seeds of doubt. Hardly any of us will actually make it out to South Africa and I think creating a 'virtual Wembley' via the Cabanga facebook group is a great idea"
To show your support for England - www.facebook.com/ThinkCabanga
