BERLIN - World Cup fans may be split on South Africa's vuvuzela, either merry fanfare or deafening din, but two German entrepreneurs who bought the resale rights for Europe hope the horn will spell gold.

Cherished by South African football fans, the one-meter long plastic trumpet produces a drone like a giant swarm of bees when thousands are played at once, sparking a growing backlash from broadcasters, fans and even some players.

But Frank Urbas and Gerd Kehrberg - who acquired the resale rights for the European Union from the vuvuzela's South African maker Masincedane Sport in March last year, are betting business will be brisk despite the controversy.