| SA and Germany share soccer WC passion - 09/06/2006 |
South Africans and Germans are sharing their football passion in innovative ways, teaming up to stage the WC to the sounds of jazz, teaching children German and using the sport as a vehicle to fight Aids. According to a report on the News24 site, "SA, the 2010 WC host, failed to qualify for this years edition in Germany, but football remains SAs most popular sport, creating a natural link between the current and future hosts. When Germany and Costa Rica play the opening match, jazz bands from SA and Germany will interpret the much anticipated game through music at an inner-city Johannesburg jazz club."
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Full report on the News24 site
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| 2010 soccer WC Bill tabled - 07/06/2006 |
A special Bill was tabled in Parliament to regulate SAs hosting of the 2010 Soccer WC. According to a report on the News24 site, "among other things, the 2010 Fifa World Cup South Africa Special Measures Bill provides for the issuing of visas and work permits to the delegates, personnel and commercial affiliates of Fifa."
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Full report on the News24 site
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| SA execs splash out on WC - 06/06/2006 |
SAs wealthy football supporters and corporate companies are going to the WC in Germany in style. Some are chartering private jets, booking five-star hotel suites and even securing them the best seats to see Brazilians Ronaldinho. The Daily Dispatch reports that "before flying to Germany, Danny Jordaan, CE of the 2010 WC LOC, said the 50-strong South Africans delegation on an observer mission would include representatives from the 10 host cities, stadium managers, government officials representing transport, security and communications, and other football people."
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Full Daily Dispatch report
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| Radical plan to hold soccer WC every two years - 05/06/2006 |
A radical plan to restructure international football, prepared for top European clubs, envisages the World Cup being held every two years. The Daily News reports that "the proposal, called Grand Slam World, is part of a presentation commissioned by the G-14 grouping of European clubs - a collection of the 18 richest sides in Europe - by Hypercube, a Dutch consultancy."
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Full Daily News report
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| Germany to host its own solar cup - 01/06/2006 |
As Germany gears up for the WC, organizers in one host city are hoping football supporters will not only be seeing green on the pitch but thinking green as well. CNN reports that "in the final run-up to the tournament, Gelsenkirchen - a former mining city in Germanys Ruhr industrial heartland - is hosting its own Solar Cup in an effort to promote solar power as an alternative source of energy. The tournament will not only help to sponsor solar projects in Germany but would support similar schemes in SA, where the next World Cup will be held in 2010."
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Full CNN report
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| SA ready to unveil 2010 WC logo - 01/07/2006 |
SA will officially unveil its WC 2010 emblem in Berlin on July 7. Significantly this will be before the end of the WC in Germany and, as such, is a first in the history of the tournament. The Cape Argus reports that "this will be followed by a concert in the German capital on the same evening and later SA will also unveil their African Legacy Programme - a new venture in that for the first time a hosting World Cup country will attempt to make the event one of total continental involvement. The aim is make it a truly African affair."
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Full Cape Argus report
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| Soccer fans head for Gemany - 01/06/2006 |
A group of 350 hardy pioneers leave Johannesburg International Airport as the advance vanguard of approximately 2500 SA football fans who will be in Germany for the World Cup. The Sunday Times reports that "Nazeer Camaroodeen, managing-director of the company which acts as official ticketing and travel agents for Safa, said they would be handling the arrangements for approximately 1500 of the total number."
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Full Sunday Times report
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| World Cup fever hits Germany - 31/05/2006 |
More than 60 000 fans will pack the Olympiastadion in Berlin on June 7. TheStreet.com reports that "nearly 5000 dancers will boogie to Oscar and Emmy winner Doug Jacks choreographed routine; Il Divo will sing the A Time of Our Lives theme song, with some help from R&B singer Toni Braxton. Why such an Olympic-scale ceremony? Its the opening match of the 2006 FIFA World Cup - the most-watched sporting event on the planet."
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Full TheStreet.com report
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| No smoking ban for Germany WC - 31/05/2006 |
Anti-tobacco advocates are angered that smoking will be allowed at the upcoming WC and say Germany and Fifa shouldn`t have ended a smoking ban. Monster&Critics.com reports that "the WHO was a main player in the decision to ban smoking in the 2002 games and said the 2010 World Cup in South Africa also will be smoke free."
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Full Monsters&Critics.com report
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| Politicians concerned about 2010 - 31/05/2006 |
Opposition political parties questioned the countrys capacity to host the 2010 WC. According to a report on the News24 site, "they were of the opinion that several stadiums were badly behind schedule and questions remained around transport and accommodation."
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Full report on the News24 site
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| Swaziland eyes key 2010 role - 31/05/2006 |
The National Football Association of Swaziland (NFAS) will submit a report to government on its preparations for the 2010 WC to be staged by SA. ANDnetwork.com reports that "FA’s CE Frederick Mngomezulu said the country had been included as one of the beneficiaries of the E16.5bn to be approved by the government of SA towards developing and improving its infrastructure in the next two years."
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Full ANDnetwork.com report
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| Good governance needed for sporting success - 31/05/2006 |
Good governance was needed for sporting success, Sport and Recreation Minister Makhenkesi Stofile said. The Cape Times reports that "Stofile said the government - in collaboration with the University of Johannesburg, the SA Football Association and SuperSport - launched a senior management training course two weeks ago. Other government programmes aimed at human resource development have seen the training of 1 293 entry-level coaches, 655 referees, and 450 event managers and first aid practitioners."
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Full Cape Times report
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| SA punters can bet on World Cup matches - 31/05/2006 |
South African punters can bet on all the Soccer WC matches live in running from anywhere in the country, as long as they have a computer at their disposal. The Mercury reports that "bookmaker Keith Ho has put together the first interactive betting Web site in SA, where the public can bet on anything from soccer to tennis to rugby to horse-racing."
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Full report in The Mercury
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| New World Cup worm on the loose - 26/05/2006 |
Football fans should be aware of a worm being circulated by e-mail with the German-language message WM-Tickets or Weltmeisterschaft, security vendor Sophos warned. PC Advisor reports that "the e-mail contains an attachment that, when opened, activates the W32/Zasran-A worm. The worm is programmed to send itself to addresses stored in Microsofts Outlook address book and manipulate security settings to give hackers access to other personal information stored in users PCs."
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Full PC Advisor report
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| Durban cleans up its streets ahead of WC - 24/05/2006 |
Durban has begun to rid the city of street children and vagrants ahead of the 2010 WC it is to host. SABC News reports that "derelict buildings and ramshackle accommodations in the inner city are also coming down under its urban renewal programme."
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Full SABC News report
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| Soccer makes men soppy - 23/05/2006 |
Football gives men a way to express their innermost thoughts and feelings, according to a pre WC survey. According to a report on the News24 site, "almost two-thirds of men believe that while watching or playing football, they are more willing to share their feelings with other men than when doing other activities."
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Full report on the News24 site
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| Trevor Phillips to leave PSL - 23/05/2006 |
Trevor Phillips, The British Bulldog, will leave the PSL when his contract expires in November - muzzled, it would seem, by what the forthright CE described as a post with enormous responsibility and relatively limited authority. The Star reports that "while Phillips says he believes he will be leaving the PSL on a sound footing, the departure of the 64 year-old Englishman at the end of his second tenure with the controlling body of SA soccer could precipitate a similar crisis and spiralling downward trend to the one that emerged after he left for the first time in 2000."
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Full report in The Star
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| Soccer fashion in the limelight at Germany WC - 22/05/2006 |
World Cup fans are accustomed to the yellow of Brazil, the blues of France and Italy and the stripes of Argentina and Paraguay. The Mercury reports that "they should get ready for the elephants of Ivory Coast, the eagles of Tunisia and the black stars of Ghana. The uniforms of this years World Cup teams are as varied as the 32 countries they represent, almost all carrying a distinct look."
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Full report in The Mercury
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| Australia to bid for World Cup - 18/05/2006 |
Australia hopes to host the Asian Cup soccer final in 2011 and eventually bid for the 2018 or 2022 World Cup tournament. According to a report on the News24 site, "Football Federation Australia CE, John ONeill said that they were very ambitious to host major events."
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Full report on the News24 site
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| World Cup bad for health - 17/05/2006 |
Health experts are sounding a cautionary note about the WC finals, saying that some matches could be quite literally heart-stopping. According to a report on the News24 iste, "cardiac arrests, drunk driving, fan violence, wife beating, binge boozing, smoking, gorging on fatty snacks with no exercise, even suicide - all of these phenomena surge during the worlds most-watched sporting contest."
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Full report on the News24 site
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| Kenya to play major role in 2010 - 16/05/2006 |
A Kenyan film, One Country One Game, is among the 45 short films selected from a pool of about 600 entries worldwide for Germanys Artistry and Cultural program to run alongside the Fifa World Cup games. OhMyNews.com reports that, "Kenyas Director of Culture Silverse Anami, revealed what he called advanced consultations with SA on what role Kenya could play in the 2010 World Cup."
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Full OhMyNews.com report
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| New book unveils bid shenanigans - 12/05/2006 |
A new book, Foul, by British journalist Andrew Jennings, exposes the corruption and power plays at world footballs governing body, Fifa. According to a Mail & Guardian Online report, "Jenningss previous investigation into sport, The Lords of the Rings, led to a radical shake-up of the International Olympic Committee. Among other things, Foul details the behind-the-scenes shenanigans in the awarding of the 2006 and 2010 World Cups."
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Full Mail & Guardian Online report
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| Spotlight back on Charlie Dempsey - 07/05/2006 |
An explosive new book exposing corruption within Fifa has again put the heat on New Zealands Charlie Dempsey, claiming he was manipulated by Fifa boss Sepp Blatter when he cost SA the 2006 World Cup by abstaining from final venue voting in 2000. Foul! According to a report on the stuff.co.nz site, "The Secret World Of Fifa, is written by leading British investigative sports reporter Andrew Jennings, who spent four years delving into the dark side of football. Fifa unsuccessfully tried to prevent the book being published, claiming it contained a number of false and libellous claims."
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Full report on the stuff.co.nz site
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| New communications manager for SA 2010 LOC appointed - 02/05/2006 |
African. World class. No distinction. The Pretoria News reports that "those are the words Fifa 2010 WC CE Danny Jordaan uses often when he envisages what the tournament in SA will be like in four years time. They are also words which quite fittingly describe the new communications manager for the SA 2010 LOC, Tumi Makgabo."
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Full Pretoria News report
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| Top cop gunned down by robbers - 30/04/2006 |
One of SAs foremost security experts has been brutally gunned down by robbers. The Pretoria News reports that "tributes have poured in for Ben van Deventer, the former top policeman and the security kingpin behind the successful staging of many big events, who was shot dead at his home in Centurion. Van Deventer had been involved in making security arrangements as part of the 2010 WC bid and would have worked on executing the arrangements."
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Full Pretoria News report
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| Fifa gives SA a glowing vote of confidence - 26/04/2006 |
The glowing vote of confidence Fifa boss Sepp Blatter gave at a media briefing in Nelson Mandela Bay for this country’s hosting of the WC in 2010 will hopefully finally lay to rest concerns that we lack the ability to organise an event of that scale. The Herald reports that "if there were any doubts about SA being able to host a successful World Cup, it would never have been awarded the honour of doing so."
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Full report in The Herald
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| Blatter confident SA will host excellent WC - 25/04/2006 |
Fifa boss Sepp Blatter is convinced that SA will host an excellent WC in 2010, despite fears about the country and Africas ability. The Cape Argus reports that "Blatter said he has confidence and trust in the organising abilities of the SA Government, the SA Football Association, the LOC and the SA people."
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Full Cape Argus report
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