| Americans set to invade SA - 09/03/2010 |
Americans appear set to be by far the most numerous group of foreign fans coming to South Africa for the 2010 World Cup, Parliament’s sports and recreation portfolio committee heard this week. This is according to the number of tickets sold up to the end of football governing body FIFA’s third sales phase, which ended on January 22. Sports24 reports that LOC CFO Farouk Seedat said 107 576 tickets for the event had been sold to the general public in the United States. The second-highest number of sales was in the United Kingdom (63 835) followed by Germany (29 733) and Australia (26 488).
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Full Sports24 report
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| Phone giants launch countdown celebrations 03/03/2010 |
Cellular phone companies MTN and Vodacom used the 2010 World Cup 100 days countdown celebrations to mobilise Africans to embrace the event. At the MTN function in Roodepoort, also attended by various artists, the company unveiled the ’Africa Unite’ campaign. The Sowetan reports that the company’s 2010 World Cup manager, Ntombi Mahangwe, said: ’The campaign is aimed at mobilising support for the World Cup in Africa.’ In Midrand Vodacom lined up Bafana Bafana players Teko Modise, Siphiwe Tshabalala, Itumeleng Khune and Reneilwe Letsholonyane as part of the celebrations. Also present were players from Orlando Pirates and Kaizer Chiefs.
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Full report in The Sowetan
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| 2010 fever spreads to restaurants and pubs 02/03/2010 |
Team fan clubs are popping up across the city before the 2010 World Cup, with some restaurants and pubs expected to be turned into fan base camps for the event. About 350 000 visitors are expected for the World Cup - and it is estimated they will spend as much as R5 billion during the 30-day tournament. The Cape Argus reports that restaurants in Long Street are expected to be transformed into ’fan hangouts’. Cape to Cuba staff said flags of participating countries would be flown from above the balcony during the event. Several other pubs are expected to be team ’home bases’ for the tournament.
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Full Cape Argus report
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| Fans banned from team hotels 02/03/2010 |
Fancourt, Pezula and the Country Club in George will be no-go zones for fans during the 2010 World Cup, police have warned. The Cape Argus reports that director Robbie Roberts, of the province’s 2010 safety task team, said strict security measures would be in place outside the three team hotels, and that access to the training facilities and the Pezula Resort would be controlled. No fans would be allowed near the training venues. In addition, 24-hour police command centres would be established in George and Knysna to protect the teams.
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Full Cape Argus report
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| Boost for visually impaired fans - 02/03/2010 |
Visually impaired soccer fans with tickets to the 2010 World Cup will for the first time be able to follow the action on the pitch. The Cape Argus reports that this emerged from questions about how the football governing body would address the needs of physically disabled fans, with FIFA secretary general Jerome Valcke saying they were ’working on a number of new initiatives’. Among these was the implementation of a special radio system for blind soccer fans, ’through which they would be explained exactly what is happening on the pitch’.
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Full Cape Argus report
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| Web reality show for WC fans 01/03/2010 |
In celebration of the 2010 World Cup, Budweiser is casting ’Bud House,’ a Web-based reality show that will feature a house full of ’passionate’ soccer fans, one from each of the 32 qualifying countries and, very likely, beer. The LA Times reports that the project is looking for both male and female soccer fans to live together under the watchful eye of the Internet audience. Budweiser has promised ’luxurious accommodations, thrilling excursions’ and a once-in-a-lifetime chance for soccer fans.
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Full LA Times report
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| World Cup fans under attack - 27/02/2010 |
Football fans and their families are being targeted by a range of scams and rip-offs in the run-up to the 2010 World Cup, a Times Money investigation has found. With big screens being put up for ticketless fans, the certainty of a party atmosphere and breathtaking landscapes to explore, many fans are thinking of heading south this summer. However, those looking to book a last-minute trip to the competition have been warned to watch out for fraudsters and check that they are not paying over the odds.
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Full Sunday Times report
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| Bafana jerseys for bank staff - 26/02/2010 |
In keeping up with the 2010 spirit, banking giant Absa will hand out Bafana Bafana replica jerseys to their employees. The Sowetan reports that Absa sponsorship manager Steward Masela said the purpose of the event was to garner more support for the national team going into the 2010 World Cup. ’This is part of the build-up to the World Cup. We will be handing out 39 532 replica Bafana Bafana jerseys to our employees to build up the momentum ahead of the World Cup,’ Masela said.
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Full report in The Sowetan
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| CT fans set to score - 24/02/2010 |
In addition to the official Fan Fest at the Grand Parade and City Hall, four other public viewing areas will be set up in Cape Town for the 2010 World Cup, said director of operations Lesley de Reuck. These would be at the Athlone Civic Centre, the Bellville Velodrome, OR Tambo complex in Khayelitsha and the Swartklip sport complex in Mitchells Plain, notes a News24 report. De Reuck said: ’We want to be Africa’s party capital.’ The fan parks would offer free viewing of games featuring South Africa, games being played in Cape Town, and the knock-out stages of the competition.
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Full News24 report
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| The People’s Bus officially launched 23/02/2010 |
Brand South Africa and MAN Bus and Coaches have created the People’s Bus, a single-decker coach bus that is comfortably equipped for long journeys and furnished with these amenities. It was officially unveiled on 19 February at the MAN Bus and Coaches plant in Olifantsfontein, northeast of Joburg. The People’s Bus was built to garner support for Bafana Bafana ahead of the 2010 World Cup, mobilise every citizen and ratchet up excitement for the tournament.
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Full press release
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| The A-Z of 2010 paraphernaliamust-haves 21/02/2010 |
City Press recently ran a piece on how much it will cost a ’Bafana Bafana fan’ to watch their favourite team come the 2010 World Cup from June 11 till July 11. However, as the 2010 World Cup approaches and with less than 110 days to go before the big shindig kicks off, Timothy Molobi discovers that entrepreneurs creative juices are flowing freely. This means that fans will have to cough up more to look the part. This week a company launched Vuvuzela-shaped earplugs for those with a problem with the noise at stadiums, while FNB, who are one of Fifa’s partners, launched some custom-made Makarapas.
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Full City Press report
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| WC kids campaign with football stars 21/02/2010 |
The campaign to recruit 1 200 kids to walk hand-in-hand onto the pitch with football stars during the 2010 World Cup gathered steam with visits to selected McDonald’s outlets. Sunday World reports that official ambassador for the Player Escort Programme, soccer legend John ’Shoes’ Moshoeu, visited several McDonald’s outlets, including Southgate and Maponya Mall in Soweto, as part of a drive to heighten awareness about the programme. The former Kaizer Chiefs midfield maestro handed out entry forms to excited children and mingled with fans and admirers.
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Full Sunday World report
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| WC’s biggest health risk 20/02/2010 |
South Africans may pose the biggest problem to healthcare services during the 2010 World Cup, said health officials. According to a Mail & Guardian report, Professor Jacque Goosen, head of trauma at the Charlotte Maxeke Hospital, said violence related to alcohol abuse presented the biggest challenge to healthcare services. ’Community parties during sport events are a problem, not the people within the stadiums,’ said Goosen. Injuries due to stabbing, shooting, falling from buildings and motor vehicle accidents increased during sporting events, he added.
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Full Mail & Guardian report
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| Eyelashes flutter for Bafana 18/02/2010 |
Wondering how you will support Bafana Bafana on the 2010 World Cup? Unsure whether the World Cup fever has hit our shores yet? Then, the arrival of these fabulous new false eyelashes should put all your doubts to rest. ’Bafana Bafana’ fan Bongi Khumalo will be donning a pair of Elise’s rainbow-coloured eyelashes to the World Cup games.
The Sowetan reports that Khumalo says the eyelashes are light and do not obscure her vision.
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Full report The Sowetan
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| Fans to fork out for shuttle service 13/02/2010 |
Soccer fans watching the 2010 World Cup in Joburg face the prospect of yet another expense. The only question is: At what cost? The Star reports that the City of Joburg’s iTransie to Ellis Park, otherwise known as Park ’n Ride, has now become a paid-for service. And ticket holders may have to pay up to R100 per head for transport to the stadium. The service was free during last year’s Confederations Cup, but the council paid about R7-million for it. This year, though, when 15 of the 64 World Cup games are staged here, the City of Joburg says it does not have the money to pay for the service, which is expected to cost more than R14m.
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Full report in The Star
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| Temporary 2010 stadium for Berlin - 06/02/2010 |
A temporary stadium that could have a capacity as high as 8 000 will be constructed in Berlin for German fans to watch the 2010 World Cup. The arena, to be built at the disused Tempelhof airport, will cost a reported 1.5 million to construct, and feature giant screens measuring as much as 100 square feet, notes a Sports Pro Media report. ’This will be a special event venue for the whole family, with food, jersey sales, concerts, celebrities, stars and cheerleaders,’ said organiser Karl-Heinz Mueller, who insisted the area would conjure up, ’a proper football atmosphere.’
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Full Sports Pro Media report
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| African fans ready to party in SA - 02/02/2010 |
Football supporters in Africa are hungry for more quality football and many of them cannot wait to make the trip to South Africa in five months time to witness history in the making, notes a FIFA.com report. As thousands of fans make their way home following a successful Africa Cup of Nations in Angola their attention has turned to the 2010 World Cup in South Africa. Although initial support from the African continent was slow it has started to gain momentum with an increase in ticket applications during the third ticket sales phase which closed last month. Dr Rafiu Oladibo of the African Football and Other Sport Supporters Union said African supporters were intent on changing people’s perception of Africa as a dangerous continent through their support of sport and particularly football during the World Cup.
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Full FIFA.com report
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| Capetonians prepare for WC ’jol’ 02/02/2010 |
World Cup Fan Fest organisers say Capetonians can get ready for a month-long ’jol’ on the Grand Parade during the tournament. The Cape Argus reports that the historic square opposite the city hall will be the official fan park for the 2010 World Cup. Phase one of a multi-phased upgrade has been completed, with city officials expected to add the final touches closer to the event. The 2010 fan fest tender was last month awarded to a joint venture between World Sport, VWV and Grand Parade Investments. World Sport is also the organiser of the J&B Met.
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Full Cape Argus report
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| SA snubbed by foreign fans 27/01/2010 |
The 2010 World Cup in South Africa will be played in front of fewer than half of the expected number of foreign fans, says governing body FIFA. Secretary-general Jerome Valcke said there were too few flights to cater for demand, and also suggested some fans were concerned about safety. According to a BBC News report, FIFA expects 450 000 foreign fans - compared with estimates of one million made in 2002. South Africans have snapped up most of the two million tickets sold so far. The US makes up the largest contingent of foreign fans wanting tickets - with the UK next on the list.
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Full BBC News report
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| Barmy Army advises WC fans 21/01/2010 |
England cricket fans are using their experience of touring South Africa to advise their football counterparts on safety issues for the 2010 World Cup. Sports24 reports that the Barmy Army supporters group follows the England cricket team around the world and watched a four-game series in South Africa conclude this month. Barmy Army founder Paul Burnham says fans ’had a fantastic time in South Africa but this was no fluke’. Burnham stresses that fans should arrange accommodation and transport before the tournament.
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Full Sports24 report
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| Giant 2010 jersey in East London 21/10/2010 |
East Londoners will have the chance to sign a piece of what will become a giant 60m by 48m Bafana Bafana World Cup jersey next week. The Daily Dispatch reports that the giant jersey will adorn the pitch at the opening game of the 2010 World Cup. The jersey is an Adidas initiative in partnership with the national Department of Education, called ’Unite Mzansi Unite’. It was launched in November last year. The jersey, which started making the rounds in Johannesburg, landed in Nelson Mandela Bay last week. Apart from the residents in host cities, those living in other cities and small towns would also be able to sign it.
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Full Daily Dispatch report
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| Got your Fifa tickets? - 14/01/2010 |
Are South Africans not supporting their own soccer team
or just typically leaving things to the last minute? Or perhaps the 2010 local organising committee (LOC) has finally recognised that the ticket-purchasing process is simply too complicated.
The LOC told the Mail & Guardian on Thursday that the organisation will sell tickets over the counter at a later stage. For now the few South Africans who have credit cards and internet access have had to contend with a complicated application process on Fifas website, and the rest have to stand in line at First National Bank.
LOC chief executive officer, Danny Jordaan, complained on Tuesday that fewer than 100 000 tickets have been sold to fans in the six African countries competing in the finals. He was particularly worried that few local fans were buying tickets for Bafana Bafanas Group A matches against Mexico, Uruguay and France.
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Full Mail & Guardian Online report
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| Bafana fans not buying tickets - 12/01/2010 |
Less that 100 000 tickets have been sold for fans in the six African countries competing in the 2010 World Cup finals that kicks off on June 11 at the new Soccer City Stadium. That was the sobering disclosure from the CEO of the 2010 Local Organising Committee, Danny Jordaan, at a media briefing in Johannesburg on Tuesday. But what has Jordaan worried is the fact few local fans are buying tickets for Bafana Bafana’s Group A matches. Bafana open the tournament at Soccer City against Mexico on June 11, then play Uruguay at Loftus on June 16 and finish their group programme against 1998 world champions France in Bloemfontein on June 22.
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Full report on the News24 site
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| British Foreign Office warns 2010 visitors 04/01/2010 |
The British Foreign Office has made a comprehensive guide available for British soccer fans visiting South Africa for the 2010 World Cup. Tips include avoiding widespread fraud at bank auto teller machines and looking out for rocks placed in roads by gun-toting hijackers. The Foreign Office also warns on a prevalent HIV pandemic, cholera flare-ups, and inflated accommodation prices.But it accedes that the South African authorities give high priority to protecting tourists.
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Full Bush Radio report
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| Fan seeks 2010 record 04/01/2010 |
Thulani Ngcobo is possibly the luckiest soccer fan in the world. According to a report on the IOL site, this staunch Kaizer Chiefs supporter’s undying love for soccer has secured him tickets to travel 17 000km between nine host cities to watch 38 matches in the 2010 World Cup. And Ngcobo can also make it into the Guinness Book of World Records for the most matches attended by any fan at a soccer World Cup Finals.
The 29-year-old from Soshanguve, Pretoria is determined to double the existing Guinness record of 19 games by attending 38 games. ’I was told the present record holder attended 19 matches at a Fifa World Cup. This is the number of matches I normally attend every month on average all over the country,’ he said. ’I consider it already done. There is no way I will be unable to attend all the games as scheduled.’
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Full report on the IOL site
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| Nightmare for soccer junkies 02/01/2010 |
When June approaches, there could be a small outflow of deprived Singaporeans to Malaysian and other cities to watch televised coverage of World Cup 2010. The reason is Singapore’s surprising failure to gain the rights to telecast what is equivalent to football’s Olympics from June 11 to July 11. The rejection by FIFA over money, lots of it has delivered a heavy blow to a small army of soccer fans, as well as Singapore’s image as a sporting hub.The debacle is first and foremost about escalating cost of sports for TV fans. First, the English Premier League and now FIFA have raised charges for television rights.
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Full report in The Star
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| 2010 boosts tourism figures 31/12/09 |
Mexico City received 10.4 million tourists in 2009 and expects that figure to increase to 14 million next year, helped by events such as free public viewing of World Cup games, according to city officials. City Tourism Minister Alejandro Rojas said that of the 10.4 million visitors to the capital who stayed in hotels, 2.4 million were foreign tourists and the rest from other parts of Mexico, according to a government release. Rojas calculated that the economic benefit to the capital from tourism this year was 43.5 billion pesos ($3.3 billion). Mexico City is also among seven cities outside South Africa chosen for the Fifa Fan Fest, in which all of the 2010 World Cup soccer matches will be shown for free on giant screens in the main square.
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Full Lloyds report
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