S.Africa celebrates 100 day countdown to World Cup

March 2, 2010

Members of boys choir perform during the 100 Days Gala Dinner for the 2010 FIFA World Cup football tournament function held at Durban´s International Convention Centre, on March 1. The glittering function was to mark the 100 days to the FIFA World Cup tournament
Schoolchildren will ditch their uniforms for football jerseys, while dancers will take to the streets on Tuesday as South Africa celebrates the 100-day countdown to the World Cup.

Top FIFA officials, including the world football body president Sepp Blatter and secretary general Jerome Valcke, will mark the occasion in Durban with a press conference aimed at dispelling doubts about South Africa’s readiness for the June 11 to July 11 tournament.

They’ll be winding up a tour of the 10 stadiums that will host the matches, aiming to reassure naysayers that despite some work being done on the pitches and the surrounding grounds, all the venues are on track for the kick-off.

South Africa has poured 33 billion rand (3.9 billion dollars, 3.2 billion euros) into preparations for the tournament.

The heavy construction is already finished at all the stadiums. Soccer City, the 95,000-seat venue for the opening and final matches should be handed over within a month.

Major upgrades to airports in Johannesburg, Cape Town and Bloemfontein are complete, while Durban’s new airport is set to open on May 1.

Valcke said on Monday that on a scale from one to 10, South Africa’s readiness was at an eight.

“We will be at 10 on June 11,” he told journalists. “In terms of readiness, South Africa is ready to host the World Cup in 2010.”

Ordinary South Africans are being urged to get into the spirit by wearing the green and yellow jersey of the Bafana Bafana national side, blowing the vuvuzela trumpets that are ubiquitous at local matches and waving the national flag, said Danny Jordaan, head of the local organising committee.

He said South Africans were also being urged to learn their national anthem, which includes verses in five of the country’s 11 official languages, and to buy tickets for the matches.

“We see a tremendous response,” Jordaan said last week.

FIFA says that 2.2 of the 2.9 million tickets have already been sold, even though fewer foreign fans are expected to attend.

South Africa is banking on 450,000 foreign visitors, though the actual number could be lower, with many fans overseas still recovering from the shock of the global recession.

The 100-day mark will give South Africa a chance to try to overcome lingering concerns about the games, especially security in a nation with one of the highest crime rates in the world, averaging 50 murders each day.

South Africa has spent more than 2.4 billion rand on security, recruiting 41,000 additional police and buying hi-tech equipment for the competition.

Overall, South Africans are increasingly optimistic about the World Cup. A survey out on Monday found that 85 percent believe the nation will ready for the games.

The public was less rosy about the chances about the hot-and-cold fortunes of Bafana Bafana – only 55 percent said they thought the team was ready to compete.

DURBAN, South Africa (AFP)

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Vuvuzela ’sounds like Uwe Seeler’ but will it catch on in Germany?

July 21, 2009


A German official wanting to make the pronunciation of the African vuvuzela instrument clear to German reporters said last week: “Vuvuzela: it sounds like Uwe Seeler“.

This seems to be the only thing Seeler, the Hamburg striker who reigned supreme from the mid-50s to the early 70s, has in common with the African instrument that caused considerable controversy during the Confederations Cup in South Africa last month.

Seeler is a quiet, soft-spoken and reserved man while the vuvuzela makes a loud, monotonous drone that drove players and broadcasters crazy in South Africa. Many have asked FIFA to consider banning them during next year’s World Cup in the country.

Now a German firm has won the rights to market the instrument across Europe — “the original sound of South Africa” — and has ordered thousands of the little trumpets to be used by fans in the Bundesliga saying the vuvuzela craze will take off ahead of next year’s showpiece.

They have even ordered vuvuzelas that come in three pieces so they can not be used as missiles in stadiums as they fall apart upon impact.

The German soccer league said it would carefully examine the impact they have on matches before considering any action against them even though German national coach Joachim Loew has said he hates the sound.

“I would get rid of them if there was any way. The sound gets on your nerves after a while,” Loew said.

Several players who heard the sound in the stadiums during the Confed Cup share that view.

FIFA in turn ruled out banning them from the World Cup saying they were a crucial aspect of South African flair that was necessary for the success of the competition.

“(Banning them) would mean one would have to take away the cow bells from Swiss fans and ban English fans from singing,” FIFA’s Hans Klaus said last week.

But Germany’s southern neighbour, Austria, has already put a lid on them. Vuvuzelas will not be allowed in Austrian stadiums for fear they could be used as projectiles and could trigger aggression among fans, state authorities said.

At the end of the day, football is neither tennis, nor golf. It has always been a loud game. You already have drums, rattles, real trumpets, whole brass bands, cow bells, firecrackers and even didgeridoos.

Could we just leave the vuvuzela alone?

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Austria bans vuvuzelas – but not because of the noise

July 17, 2009


The Austrian professional football league on Thursday imposed a stadium ban on the long plastic trumpet, the vuvuzela, which made such a noisy impression in last month’s Confederations Cup in South Africa.

But the league said the vuvuzelas were being banned not for the deafening and tuneless din they produce but because they might be used as missiles.

“Vuvuzelas can be used as projectiles. Furthermore, they can incite aggressive behaviour amongst other fans,” Austrian league spokesman Christian Kircher said.

Newly-promoted Wiener Neustadt had been counting on handing out 150 vuvuzelas to fans to make some noise during the league’s seasonal kick-off at home on Friday against Austria Carinthia.

The trumpets caused consternation among some in South Africa for the Confed Cup, with several non-African players and coaches calling for their ban.

But the president of world football’s governing body FIFA, Sepp Blatter, has given them his blessing, blasting the detractors by telling them Africa is about dance and music and that moaning about the instrument bordered on discrimination.

VIENNA (AFP)

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Samba fever hits South Africa at Confed Cup final

June 29, 2009


JOHANNESBURG (AFP) – Africa met South America on Sunday at the final match of the FIFA Confederations Cup, as local fans rallied behind Brazil in their exhilarating come from behind 3-2 win over United States.

Despite local team Bafana Bafana – the boys – earlier bowing out to Spain in the third place play-off, a final with the five time world champions was some consolation ahead of the continent’s first World Cup in 2010.

“The US played well but they were totally outclassed by Brazil,” said Sizwe Ndaba, one of the 52,291 fans who watched the 2005 Confeds champions defend their title in a nail-biting finish. “I can’t wait to see them in 2010.”

Fans waved both the South African and the Brazil flags shouted “Brazil are the champions” and “Viva Brazil” as they tried to dance the Samba between the narrow stands of Ellis Park stadium before kick-off.

“Bafana Bafana may not have reached the final, but I am here to shout for Brazil. I like their football,” said James Chungu who travelled from Nelspruit, some 330 kilometres from Johannesburg.

“Being here is all about celebrating the game of football. The Samba boys will take it, they were the best team in this tournament,” predicted Chungu who still has vivid memories of Brazil’s last World Cup victory in 2002.

“This could have been a great moment if Bafana was playing here tonight, but what can we say, they need to polish their skills ahead of the World Cup next year.”

The high school teacher was among thousands of fans who painted their faces blue and yellow, the colours of the Brazil national team and blew the popular plastic airhorn vuvuzela trumpets.

Arnold Nkosi said he had saved for two months to buy a ticket for the final, played in a wintry 10 degrees celsius.

“I knew that Brazil was going to be in the final. I have supported Brazil since I was a kid, this is a fantastic opportunity to them do their thing,” said the 18-year-old unemployed youth waving the Brazilian flag.

The popular team had wowed fans across the country as they won all their games in the two-week tournament.

“I have watched all the games on TV, but this one was worth spending all my savings on it. I couldn’t afford to go and see them in other cities,” said Nkosi.

Neil Simmons, an exchange student from Arizona in the US came with a group of his varsity friends to see his home team play live for the first time.

The group made use of the park-and-ride transport system used to ferry fans from designated parking lots to the stadium which was aimed at minimising traffic volumes, but hit by reports of confusion and congestion.

“The system wasn’t perfect, but it worked, there was no order especially when people had to be taken back to their cars,” said Simmons amid the deafening roar of vuvuzelas.

“There should have been more crowd control to ensure that the systems works smoothly,” he added.

But Cedric Mackay who attended four games at Ellis Park said he was impressed with the overall organisation.

“People need to be taught about how to behave at such big events,” said Mackay, adding that bottlenecks had been caused by spectators.

The pre-match closing ceremony set the tone for Africa’s first World Cup next year with a giant human map of Africa wrapping up the show before the match which saw Brazil claw their way back from 2-0 at half-time.

“I’m overjoyed. What a game,” said elated Brazil fan Antonio Moses.

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Yes we can beat Brazil: USA

June 28, 2009


JOHANNESBURG (AFP) – United States playmaker Landon Donovan is counting on the support of South African fans in Sunday’s Confederations Cup final against Brazil here at Ellis Park.

The USA’s all-time top scorer has an unhappy record against the holders, who dished out a 3-0 beating to Donovan and his teammates in the group stages.

But the Los Angeles Galaxy star is hoping for a change of fortune in the South African commercial capital, with the vuvuzela-blowing locals’ assistance.

“I’ve never beaten Brazil at any level,” Donovan said. “I have one particular lowlight, my first game against them was an Under-23 match in Brasilia – we lost 7-0!

“We’re hoping to rectify that tomorrow, it would be a nice time to do it.”

Concerning the local fans, he commented: “One of the best things here was coming to the stadium the other night. I wasn’t sure how the crowd were going to accept us, then realised how many South Africans were on our side.

“I think we’ve shown a spirit and competiveness that people love and find infectious. I expect the same tomorrow, people want to see us doing well.”

Donovan went on to talk about the importance of Sunday’s final to the CONCACAF Gold Cup winners.

“We’re extremely excited to be here, it’s a big opportunity for us and one we don’t get often. We’re going to give it everything we have, there’s no promise we’ll get back to a final like this so we’re going to take advantage of it,” he said.

Coach Bob Bradley told the eve-of-match press conference that the USA’s appearance in the Confed Cup finale was the fruit of a long voyage.

“This chance is not something that’s happened in the last few days, it’s a result of a lot of things happening in US soccer like MLS players choosing to go to Europe, and our success and disappointments at the World Cup,” he said.

“We’re continuing our march in the soccer world and this is an important step.”

Asked how the USA were going to beat Brazil after going down heavily to them already in this tournament, he remarked: “Against Brazil we started tentatively and made critical errors and went a man down.

“I think we’ve shown in our last two games against Egypt and Spain we’ve started with more energy and with a balance of aggression and intelligence.

“We’ve learned from the Brazil game and now we have a wonderful opportunity to start over with them and make sure the beginning of the match is right for us and we come out as champions.

“The expression ‘Yes we can’ worked for Barack Obama, so we can as well.”

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Alves saves Brazil against South Africa in Confed Cup

June 26, 2009


JOHANNESBURG (AFP) – Barcelona defender Daniel Alves spared Brazil’s blushes as his late goal earned the five time world champions a 1-0 win over spirited South Africa here Thursday to book their place in the Confederations Cup final.

This semi-final against the hosts was heading for extra time until Alves, in an inspired move by coach Dunga, replaced Andre Santos and broke the stalemate with a curling free kick in the 88th minute.

Explaining his master move Dunga said: “We knew it was going to be difficult, we knew South Africa were going to attack, to defend and counter attack.

“The game was very tight so I sent on an aggressive player (Alves) who is very quick and a specialist in set pieces, he practices set pieces every day.

“We had to make use of any opportunity that came our way so a foul in fornt of goal was perfect for us.”

Brazil now face the United States in Sunday’s final with South Africa heading to Rustenburg for the third place play-off with Spain.

“I think we played very well against a team recognised as one of the best in world and even surprised Brazil. I’m very proud,” said Brazil-born South Africa coach Joel Santana.

“It seemed as though it would be 0-0 but then Brazil had the set piece relying on its experience placing three players in our wall to make it difficult for our keeper.

“We showed we were able to hold our own. Now we have another year to prepare for the World Cup.”

South Africa were without suspended midfielder Macbeth Sibaya, his place taken by Siphiwe Tshabalala, while Brazil midfielder Luisao started for injured Juan.

The two adversaries made it into the last four in wildly contrasting ways – Brazil sauntering through as Group B leaders with maximum points, South Africa edging through on goal difference as Group A runners-up.

With President Jacob Zuma watching, about the only one of the 48,000 fans not blowing into a vuvuzela, South Africa made a promising start as they fought to make their first final since the 1996 African Nations Cup.

Against the run of play Itumelang Khune was forced into action to save a Ramires effort while shortly after his counterpart Julio Cesar was in full flight to cover a long range effort from speedy defender Siboniso Gaxa.

South Africa were giving as good as they got as Brazil tried to work the ball repeatedly down the left flank using Inter Milan back Maicon as the key link.

On 21 minutes they should have scored only for Tshabalala’s header off a freekick to go high.

As the half hour beckoned the Kaizer Chiefs midfielder unleashed a carefully constructed 30 metre freekick with only Cesar’s palm preventing the hosts taking the lead.

Down at the other end Khune safely held onto Andre Santos’ volley.

Kaka produced his first bit of magic as he darted through the South African defence but the Real Madrid forward’s curving shot drifted wide of the far post.

Brazil were fortunate not to go into the break trailing as Steven Pienaar had Cesar beaten with his stinging 35 metre shot from the right but the status quo was upheld when the ball edged wide.

The holders were not at their brilliant best against a South African side that were scampering after every ball as if their lives depended on it.

On the hour, with Dunga looking on pensively, Teko Modise’s close range shot deflected off Luisao before hitting the beaten Cesar’s right post in a period of domination from Joel Santana’s side.

With eight minutes left and as extra time loomed Dunga introduced Alves into the fray and the Barcelona defender repaid the confidence when he beat the Bafana Bafana wall with a thundering freekick two minutes from time.

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Vuvuzelas set to take World Cup by storm

June 25, 2009


BLOEMFONTEIN, South Africa (AFP) – You either love them or you hate them but whichever way you lean it seems certain that the vuvuzela is going to take the World Cup by storm.

The long plastic trumpet is as essential an item to South African fans as getting decked out in the national colours or painting one’s face.

Forty thousand of them being blown at full volume sounds like a swarm of angry bees buzzing in your ear, or, as one newspaper put it, an elephant in distress.

It is a tuneless din that takes getting used to, but that’s exactly what anyone planning to be here next year will have to do.

Be prepared, because no one in South Africa will take your football credentials seriously if you turn up at the stadium without one.

Whereas European supporters sing, chant and wave, South Africans blow vuvuzelas and, as a rule, make as much noise as possible.

But it has hurt the sensibilities of some, with one suggestion that they should only be allowed when South Africa plays.

Spain midfielder Xabi Alonso is the highest profile player to criticise the instrument.

“I think they should be banned,” he said. “We’re used to when people shout but not to this trumpet noise which doesn’t allow you to concentrate and is unbearable.”

Dutch coach Bert Van Marwijk, who was in South Africa on a fact finding mission, was another to take offence.

“At home watching TV it really was annoying, but in the stadiums you get used to it but it is still unpleasant,” he said.

FIFA president Sepp Blatter has given them his blessing, blasting the detractors by telling them Africa is about dance and music and moaning about the instrument bordered on discrimination.

“We have brought the World Cup to Africa where the atmosphere and the culture are different,” he said.

“What message would we be sending out if we said, ‘We are going to prohibit the instrument you use to express your joy’? That would be discrimination, pure and simple.

“I always said that when we go to South Africa, it is Africa. It’s not western Europe.”

The whinging by players, as well as some journalists who complain that they can’t work properly with so much noise, has sparked a lively debate in newspaper letter pages and led to opinion pieces in its defence.

“The Confed Cup and its big mama, the World Cup, will come and go but the vuvuzela will stay,” said the Business Times defiantly.

“Those in search of tranquility are free to watch on TV and make sure they press the mute button on their remotes.”

The Sowetan called the ubiquitous instrument’s sound “a loud and beautiful noise.”

“If you can’t handle the heat, then get out of the kitchen,” it said.

“The vuvuzela is part of our culture and it’s here to stay. The Europeans sing all game long and we blow our vuvuzelas.”

Another distinct phenomenon that will confront travelling fans in South Africa is the makaraba — a neatly decorated hand-made helmet sporting the team’s colours.

“It is part of our history, it’s something we can be very proud of,” said fan Brendan Mokone.

“I think many other countries will adopt makaraba in 2010, because from what I have seen people like it a lot.”

Blatter worked hard to bring the World Cup to Africa for the first time ever and as one commentator put it: “What would be the point of taking the World Cup to Africa, and then trying to give it a European feel?”

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Money will talk louder than any vuvuzela

June 24, 2009


The debate around the vuvuzela was always going to generate big noise but for some South African commentators it has become almost a neo-colonial conflict.

The noisy trumpet, which dominates the sound waves around the stadiums during the Confederations Cup, has got a lot of people covering their ears.

Complaints from TV viewers across Europe have been vociferous enough for the future of the plastic pest to become the major item on the agenda at the series of press conferences FIFA president Sepp Blatter has held during the tournament in South Africa.

Blatter has said it will stay — he wants to celebrate local custom and is inviting the rest of the world to do so too.

FIFA’s television arm, HBS, are more cautious but say privately, at the end of the day what Blatter says goes.

The European TV stations, who pay a lot of the money that funds FIFA, Blatter and the World Cup, could have the vuvuzela banned if they bleated enough. But most of the noise, so far, has come from enraged South Africa columnists, who have rounded on the poor Dutch journalist who first sought Blatter’s response to complaints from European television viewers.

In Africa, there is a sensitivity to being told what to do from outside and a pride in seeking to create a unique World Cup in 2010. Some of the stuff written though has been a little churlish. See here, here and here for a flavour.

At the end the day, it is the big TV money that talks. If the world’s broadcasters feel the cacophony of vuvuzelas detracts from the viewing pleasure of their public, FIFA will be forced to back down and ban the trumpets from the 2010 World Cup stadiums.

It won’t have anything to do with any ‘ism, just cold hard cash.

PHOTO: A South African soccer fan blows on a traditional “vuvuzela” horn before the start of the Confederations Cup match between New Zealand and Iraq at Ellis Park stadium in Johannesburg, June 20, 2009. REUTERS/Mike Hutchings

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Confed Cup draws white fans to mainly black sport

June 19, 2009


RUSTENBURG, South Africa (AFP) – Jakobus De Vries tooted awkwardly on his vuvuzela, the plastic trumpet synonymous with South African football, as the life-long rugby fan cheered at his first-ever soccer match during the Confederations Cup.

“I have never been to any football match, I am a confirmed rugby man. But I thought this was a good opportunity to familiarise myself with football before the World Cup next year,” he said.

The cattle farmer and his family were among the unusually large white crowds cheering as Bafana Bafana defeated New Zealand in their first Confed win in Rustenburg, a town best known for its nearby platinum mines and the Vegas-style Sun City resort.

“I like the atmosphere here, it is festive and vibrant. The fans are just amazing, this is a lekker (nice) place to be,” said De Vries.

Sport, like the rest of South African life, was strictly segregated under the apartheid government. De Vries, like any white person, would have been prohibited by law to be amongst people of a different race, even in a stadium.

Back then rugby and cricket were sports for the white minority, while football was a black man’s game — denied access to funding and facilities to develop the game. It’s a legacy that is taking a long time to overcome.

South Africa’s readmission into the international sporting arena in 1992, following the fall of apartheid laws, marked the beginning of a slow process of breaking down the racial boundaries.

That effort became symbolised in the 1995 rugby World Cup victory by the Springboks, which saw a wave of mixed race support for the team — an image emblazoned as Nelson Mandela lifted the trophy on the field.

Similar scenes played out during the Springboks second World Cup victory in France, but at domestic league football matches, white fans remain conspicuously absent.

But since the beginning of the Confed Cup, a World Cup dress rehearsal, white fans have turned out in numbers to support Bafana Bafana, dressing in national colours and waving the flag despite the team’s hot-and-cold play.

Retired former Bafana captain and top goal scorer, Shaun Bartlett believes that support for football already goes beyond the racial lines drawn by apartheid.

“Football transcends race, it is for everyone. Sport, not just only football, is unifying, especially in our country,” said the former FC Zurich player, who is mixed race.

“If you look at our yesteryear football heroes, they are from different races, black and white,” he added

Bartlett defended the national side’s mixed results in friendlies leading up to the tournament, which had drawn concern that South Africans wouldn’t rally behind a team with a lacklustre record.

“They are a young squad, but they are capable,” he said. “They must go out there and restore their dignity. They have the support of the entire country.”

Bafana Bafana played to a goal-less draw with Iraq in the opening game of the tournament — casting doubt on the host nation’s chances of advancing to later stages of the games.

Poor crowd attendance at Bafana’s games has been a major concern for the local World Cup organising committee, prompting corporations to purchase bulk tickets to give to the poor.

For Wednesday’s game, FIFA said Kgosi Leruo, traditional king of the Bafokeng people, purchased 10,000 tickets that he gave away for free to help fill seats of the newly renovated stadium.

Danny Jordaan, chief executive of the local organising committee, said he believes the World Cup will prove an even stronger force for bringing the nation together behind the team.

“South Africans of all races love football, we have witnessed that in the games we played,” Jordaan said. “If you haven’t seen enough of it, wait until 2010.”

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