The ball, named Jabulani which means ‘to celebrate’ in isiZulu, was designed and tested in a partnership between the University and adidas which dates back to 2002.

After developing the official balls for the last World Cup and the previous two European Championships, the University’s Sports Technology Institute (STI) was so determined to take the Jabulani to the next level it teamed up with the University’s Department of Aeronautical and Automotive Engineering to help with its development.

Several prototypes of the ball were tested in the department’s wind tunnel, where aerodynamics expert Dr Martin Passmore and PhD student David Rogers helped the STI to understand what causes subtle shifts in the ball during flight.

Some of the tournaments players, including England defender John Terry, have recently expressed concerns about the ball’s unpredictable nature whilst in the air but previously it has been tested and endorsed by a number of world class footballers including Terry’s Chelsea teammates Frank Lampard, Michael Ballack, and Petr Cech.

And the development team is confident it has got the end product right. Dr Andy Harland from Loughborough’s STI said: ''I've seen nothing that's concerned me. This ball has been around since December and been used since then around the world with very few comments.

''Teams have gone to altitude and you've seen comments come out in those circumstances. We've said all along it would affect the ball but it should be said whichever ball you play with at altitude is going to be affected. It is liable to certain aerodynamic affects but we've tried to avoid some of the unpredictable flight.''

And Dr Harland added: “I am delighted that Loughborough University was asked by adidas to assist in the development of such a high profile product. It reflects the high esteem that Sports Technology at Loughborough is held in and allows our research to have real impact on the South Africa World Cup.

"Being part of the World Cup experience and seeing the ball we have helped to create on the pitch is incredibly rewarding – we are all really looking forward to seeing the Jabulani in action.”

Regardless of the controversy, it’s another great example of how the UK’s universities and colleges can have a real impact on global sporting events.