With less than 10 days to go before the start of the Soccer World Cup, the Hawks have sent a letter to Interpol alerting its members to stop 122 companies worldwide from illegally selling tickets for the event. The police unit wants to prevent an influx of people who will arrive in SA only to ...
Deputy President Kgalema Motlanthe will this morning officially receive the 2010 FIFA World Cup Trophy, in his capacity as Acting President. The Trophy will be presented to him by the President of Fifa Sepp Blatter at the Union Buildings in Pretoria. Motlanthe will also host an event marking the last Football Friday. Members of the ...
Former president Nelson Mandela on Thursday met the South African national football team, Bafana Bafana. The Nelson Mandela Foundation in a statement said Mandela donned the number 4 jersey — the captain’s number — when he met the team in Houghton, Johannesburg. The audience, made up of the team, Mandela’s family and his staff, sang “Nelson ...
Fifa president Sepp Blatter yesterday described the iconic Soccer City stadium in Nasrec, Johannesburg, as the “flagship” of the world. Blatter was speaking during the official handover ceremony of the World Cup venue by the City of Johannesburg to Fifa. Also attending the ceremony was Gauteng Premier Nomvula Mokonyane, Sports and Recreation Minister Makhenkesi Stofile, ...
FIFA President Sepp Blatter has unveiled a commemorative plaque at the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium in Port Elizabeth in recognition of the contributions made by the tournament’s host cities. Blatter was accompanied by FIFA Secretary General Jerome Valcke, Local Organising Committee (LOC) chairperson Irvin Khoza and LOC CEO Danny Jordaan. Eastern Cape Premier Noxolo Kiviet ...
President Jacob Zuma on Saturday presided over the opening of Soccer City, the new 94 700-seat stadium that will host the opening and final matches of the World Cup. The stadium’s first professional match drew a crowd of 76 000 – all the seats that were made available for the game – for the final ...
President Jacob Zuma will perform the opening rites at Soccer City when about 75 000 people attend the Nedbank Cup Final between Wits University and AmaZulu on Saturday. What has elevated the occasion to being historic is the fact that it will be the first game to be played at Soccer City since it was ...
South African police do not know of any terrorism threats to the World Cup, police commissioner General Bheki Cele said on Thursday. “There is no threat that we have discovered. We are ready to protect our visitors,” he said. Cele was addressing journalists at King Shaka International Airport during an event to display police capabilities ...
It’s ridiculous to be asked to pay R599 for an official replica Bafana Bafana shirt: and that’s the word from the workers who make it. “From a factory price of about R100, R150 and the final product in the retail stores being sold for R599, we think that’s a disservice to South Africans,” SA Clothing ...
EU Development Minister Andris Piebalgs believes the Soccer World Cup finals in South Africa will be “the best World Cup ever organised”. Speaking at a press conference in Brussels on Tuesday, Piebalgs told South Africa’s Foreign Minister Maite Nkoana-Mashabane that the first global showpiece on African soil would stand head and shoulders above the rest. ...
The 2010 Fifa World Cup will change the face of South Africa forever, President Jacob Zuma said on Wednesday. “Our country will never be the same again, thanks to the World Cup,” he told the National Assembly during debate on the presidency budget vote. “The physical landscape is changing for the better. The tournament will leave ...
The park and ride nightmare of the Confederations Cup haunts the World Cup organisers, who are pulling out all the stops to avoid similar problems. “The biggest thing we got bashed on with the Confederations Cup was the park and ride,” organising committee transport chief Skhumbuzo Macozoma said at Soccer City yesterday. Macozoma assured the ...
Local organising committee CEO Danny Jordaan has denied that South Africa had “sold out” for the sake of the World Cup. “The fact of the matter is that more countries are making bids… If you make a bid then you accept the terms and conditions of the event,” he said yesterday. Jordaan was responding to ...
The United Nations Children’s Fund (Unicef) is to establish “child friendly spaces” at four Fifa Fan Fests during the World Cup to identify and assist vulnerable children. The fund made the announcement at the release of the International Labour Organisation’s (ILO) Global Report on Child Labour in Pretoria yesterday. Unicef representative Aida Girma said the ...
The World Cup finals in South Africa looks set to be “the best World Cup ever organised,” EU Development Minister Andris Piebalgs declared. “In Europe everybody is discussing about the World Cup. Everybody expects it will be the best World Cup ever organised,” Piebalgs told South Africa’s Foreign Minister Maite Nkoana-Mashabane at a joint press ...
SAB has invested an estimated R170-million around the World Cup in infrastructure in South Africa’s townships, Castle Lager campaigns and marketing to support the event. One of the initiatives is an investment of R40-million in the “Castle Kingdoms” project in which taverns and bars are being upgraded into soccer-themed venues which will last beyond the tournament. ...
England’s Princes William and Harry will be among guests attending the Fifa World Cup soccer tournament in South Africa, their press office said on Tuesday. The two men would land in the country on Monday to join a reception to celebrate the 2010 Fifa World Cup and meet members of the Fifa executive committee, according ...
Preparations are complete and the city is ready for the World Cup, according to the Tshwane mayoral committee member responsible for sports, recreation, arts and culture, Khorombi Dau. With less than a month to kick-off, Dau said the city was coming alive with the distinctive red and orange branding of the tournament, with flags and ...
The Joburg CBD was set to come alive in celebration and festivity this morning as the city marks 30 days to the World Cup kick-off. Brand South Africa was to embark on a celebratory procession from the streets of Newtown to Soweto in a custom-made People’s Bus. The bus – an interactive, mobile hub of ...
School kids will have an opportunity to film the World Cup and then watch it on television. The iSchoolafrica project allows pupils to go out and look for footage that will be broadcast on M-Net’s Magic World channel. There are four World Cup Youth Broadcasting teams in four provinces, with teams of five pupils in ...
Fifa General Secretary Jerome Valcke has denied claims by police chief General Bheki Cele that he was “almost in tears” earlier this year from the pressure he was under to withdraw the World Cup from South Africa. Valcke and local organising committee chief executive Danny Jordan were in Durban on Saturday for a networking breakfast with ...
The South African Football Association (SAFA) has suspended its team Manager, Sipho Nkumane and Commercial Director, Victor Nosi. It is believed to have been prompted by their failure to secure the host nation a 2010 home base. Bafana Bafana had to settle for Sturrock Park at Wits University. Most of the better-equipped venues were taken by visiting ...
By-laws promulgated specifically for the World Cup come into effect on Friday, but there are concerns over how they will be enforced and whether they are being used to rid the streets of traders and homeless people. The laws prescribe hefty penalties for ambush marketing, informal car guarding, littering and driving in the emergency lane. ...
‘Brand” police will patrol World Cup stadiums to make sure the Fifa brand is not “hijacked”, the world football body said yesterday. No brand but the Fifa brand will be allowed in the commercial restriction zones in and around stadiums countrywide. Soccer fans will sip their cooldrinks in “neutral, clear” glasses, will eat ...
On 15 May 2004 the long walk to the 2010 FIFA World Cup started with Nelson Mandela lifting the FIFA World Cup in Zurich. With tears of joy in his eyes, he proclaimed that he felt `like a boy of 15` on the day South Africa was awarded the right to host the 2010 FIFA ...
Bad World Cup news for Ballito, but good news for Richards Bay, as the Nigerian football team have dumped the Hampshire Hotel and moved their base camp north. A media storm in Nigeria over the suitability of the three-star Hampshire Hotel for the Super Eagles resulted in a high-level government visit to Ballito last week, ...
Joburg’s young Diski dancing experts are in Vietnam this week to show off South African spirit and culture ahead of the World Cup. The 14 young dancers and a choreographer will perform the Diski dance and other traditional and modern dances in Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi for Freedom Day celebrations this week. After ...
When the last whistle has been blown and all the soccer fans have gone home, what will happen to the R3,4 billion Soccer City Stadium? Soccer City is the venue for the 2010 Fifa Soccer World Cup opening match between South Africa and Mexico on June 11. Final touch-ups are being done on the the ...
President Jacob Zuma will meet with the Supersports United team and management tomorrow, at 9am at Esselen Park. The President wishes to congratulate the team on being Champions of the Premier Soccer League (PSL) for 3 consecutive seasons. The meeting is also aimed at promoting the 2010 FIFA World Cup. The media ...
SA is “more than ready” for the Fifa World Cup tournament, President Jacob Zuma said. Zuma was speaking at the opening of the newly constructed Central Terminal Building at OR Tambo International Airport. A transport action plan was developed in 2005 in preparation for the World Cup, as part of which R20bn was put into ...
