The vuvuzela has already made a big impact at the World Cup
South Africa's World Cup organising chief Danny Jordaan may ban vuvuzelas from inside stadiums after complaints from broadcasters and supporters.
The constant sound of the high-pitched horn-like instrument has so far drowned out much of the atmosphere-generating singing usually associated with games.
And Jordaan, when asked if he would get rid of them, told BBC Sport: "If there are grounds to do so, yes.
"We did say that if any land on the pitch in anger we will take action."
France captain Patrice Evra has already blamed the noise generated by the vuvuzelas, which has been likened to the drone of thousands of bees, for his side's poor showing in their opening group game against Uruguay, which finished goalless.
He said: "We can't sleep at night because of the vuvuzelas. People start playing them from 6am.
"We can't hear one another out on the pitch because of them."
Jordaan conceded that while the noise was irritating for some people, they were doing all they could to minimise the impact.
"We've tried to get some order," he continued. "We have asked for no vuvuzelas during national anthems or stadium announcements. It's difficult but we're trying to manage the best we can.
I'm all for them - let South Africa host the tournament in their own inimitable style
BBC Sport's Peter Scrivener
"We've had some broadcasters and individuals [complaining] and it's something we are evaluating on an on-going basis."
Jordaan admitted he was not a huge fan of them himself. "I would prefer singing," he said.
"It's always been a great generator of a wonderful atmosphere in stadiums and I would try to encourage them to sing.
"In the days of the struggle (against apartheid) we were singing, all through our history it's our ability to sing that inspired and drove the emotions."
Monday, June 14, 2010Jon di Paolo, in Cape Town Pressure is growing on World Cup organisers to restrict the use of vuvuzelas following complaints from top players, broadcasters and fans that the deafening plastic horn is spoiling the tournament. South Africa fans with vuvuzelas Having a blast - but the deafening noise they make has irritated many The instruments, which can generate a sound louder than a chainsaw at the lips of a practised player and are extremely popular among South African fans, have become a fixture inside grounds and on the streets of host cities. But broadcasters say they drown out commentary and France captain Patrice Evra said the wall of noise was a factor in his side's poor display in their goalless draw with Uruguay. All the latest stories, videos & pictures on the 2010 World Cup "We can't sleep at night because of the vuvuzelas. People start playing them from 6am. We can't hear one another out on the pitch because of them," said the Manchester United star. Portugal and Real Madrid forward Cristiano Ronaldo admitted the volume made it difficult on the pitch to concentrate, while Argentina playmaker and World Player of the Year Lionel Messi was quoted as saying it made him feel like he was deaf. A website organised to give fans a vote on whether they should be banned has seen nearly 60,000 users vote to get rid of it- as of Sunday night - whereas just 6,500 wanted it to stay. In Cape Town, shopkeepers said they were running out of earplugs branded as "vuvu-stoppers", designed to limit the noise from the instruments that has been likened to a foghorn or an elephant in distress. Lionel Messi Messi is widely regarded as the best player in the world However, 23-year-old fan, Sazi Mhlwatika, defended the instruments, saying: "It's our way to motivate players, to express happiness and how you feel in the stadium. "We are used to them and you can't enjoy the game without vuvuzelas. If there's no vuvuzelas, there is no game. It's just a traditional thing in South Africa. Abroad, they sing from the first minute to the end, here we blow vuvuzelas from the beginning to the end." Fans from other countries, such as England and Germany, have also adopted the instrument, branding it with their own teams' colours. In the wake of his team's 1-1 draw with Mexico in the opening game, South Africa captain Aaron Mokoena described the noise as "our 12th man that we need... our weapon". Asked if a ban was an option, World Cup organising committee chief Danny Jordaan said: "If there are grounds to do so, yes", adding that he preferred singing. Asamoah Gyan scores against Serbia Gyan my son But a spokesman for the committee later played down Mr Jordaan's remarks and said the horns were "here to stay". Vuvuzelas provided the soundtrack as African fans celebrated their first victory at the finals on Sunday with Ghana's win over Serbia thanks to a penalty from Asamoah Gyan in Pretoria. "Everyone is happy, not only in Ghana but the whole of Africa," Gyan said. "I'm so happy, not for Ghana winning but for an African team winning in the World Cup. It's not so easy." UN chief Ban Ki Moon said the opening stages were a triumph for the whole continent, as national media hailed a hiccup-free opening round of matches. However, tragedy struck in Cape Town when a 14-year-old American tourist fell to his death while hiking down the famous Table Mountain tourist trail. A police spokesman said the unnamed youngster was with his brother and parents in wet conditions on Saturday when he fell on a trail known as Skeleton Gorge. The family, who are from Texas, were holidaying in South Africa and had intended to watch some World Cup matches, he added. While there has been no violence between fans, a TV crew from New Zealand had a camera, satellite equipment and laptop worth 100,000 New Zealand dollars (£48,000) stolen from their Rustenburg hotel room.