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Qualifying
Games
for African Groups
Promise Thrillers
The line-up for
the five African
groups in the
third and final
round of qualifying
games for the
2010 FIFA World
Cup was finalized
at FIFA headquarters
in Zurich recently.
The games - which
will be played
between March
and November 2009
promise some great
African fixtures.
The 20 countries
which went through
to the next stage
of the tournament
in second-round
qualifiers took
part in the third
round draws in
the presence of
FIFA President
Sepp Blater and
Confederation
of African Football
boss Issa Hayatou.
The countries
were drawn in
groups organized
around the second-round
leaders: Cameroon,
Nigeria, Egypt,
Côte d'Ivoire
and Ghana.
The draw will
present soccer
fans with some
epic encounters
between neighbours,
such as a Cameroon-Gabon
clash in Group
A. The matches
between Kenya
and Mozambique
in Group B, Algeria
and Egypt in Group
C and Mali and
Ghana in Group
D also promise
to produce African
classics.
In West Africa,
neighbours Côte
d'Ivoire and Guinea
are set to produce
an explosive thriller.
The combined elimination
matches for the
2010 World Cup
and African Cup
of Nations tournaments
will see five
African countries
qualifying for
the World Cup.
As host nation,
South Africa will
bring to six the
total number of
African teams
in the tournament.
As Coaches Sharpen
Strategies …
Friendly Encounters
Galore
With the race
to reach 2010
FIFA World Cup
in South Africa
in mind, and the
need to sharpen
up and strategise
for the task ahead,
there are no fewer
than 35 friendly
encounters taking
place in all four
corners of the
globe, including
bill-topping encounters
pitching France-Argentina,
Brazil-Italy and
Spain-England.
The friendly will
offer national-team
coaches valuable
time with their
squads after a
lengthy period
without international
meetings, as number
of supremos appears
set to test out
new formations
or give young
hopefuls their
chances. Brazil
coach Dunga, has
decided to only
call up European-based
players partly
so as not to weaken
those Brazilian
clubs in midweek
Copa Libertadores
action. Dunga's
Argentinian counterpart
Diego Maradona
has followed a
similar tack,
including just
three domestic-based
footballers in
his Albiceleste
squad.
Spain-England:
This encounter
between UEFA EURO
2008 winners Spain
and an England
side rejuvenated
under Fabio Capello
remains full of
promise despite
high-profile injury
absentees such
as Carles Puyol,
Cesc Fabregas,
Wayne Rooney and
Steven Gerrard.
The last time
the two teams
met, on 7 February
2007 at Old Trafford,
a sweet strike
from Andres Iniesta
sealed a 1-0 Spanish
success.
La Roja, who have
enjoyed a seamless
transition since
Vicente Del Bosque
took over from
Luis Aragones,
are heavily indebted
to both Barcelona
and Liverpool
- suppliers of
five squad members
apiece. Capello,
meanwhile, a Liga
winner in each
of his two spells
in Spain with
Real Madrid, had
this to say: "It's
always fantastic
to play against
a stronger side.
That way the win
means even more."
The other matches:
Ahead of his team's
clash with Norway,
Germany head coach
Joachim Low has
called up two
new players in
Andreas Beck and
Mesut Osil. The
duo are currently
enjoying contrasting
fortunes on the
Bundesliga front,
with Beck flying
high with newly
promoted Hoffenheim
and Osil's Werder
Bremen way off
the pace in mid-table.
Of the Mannschaft's
established performers,
Michael Ballack
and Torsten Frings
both make their
returns but there
is no place for
Lukas Podolski,
who is out of
favour and struggling
for match time
at Bayern Munich.
Over in the Russian
camp, it is the
non-inclusion
of attacking pair
Andrei Arshavin
and Roman Pavlyuchenko
for the friendly
against Turkey
that has earned
most column inches.
Coach Guus Hiddink
has instead chosen
to allow Arsenal's
transfer-window
capture Arshavin
more time to adapt
to his new surroundings
and Tottenham
Hotspur striker
Pavlyuchenko is
also conspicuous
by his absence.
Prior to Portugal's
'Make
Soccer Event
a Tourist Attraction’
Namibia's Environment
and Tourism Minister
Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah
has expressed
concern about
the impact of
the global economic
crisis on the
Namibian tourism
sector, which
has already shown
lower tourist
arrival figures
compared to previous
years.
"This is
a cause for serious
concern. We will
need to face this
challenge together,
because its impacts
will be felt by
all of us, albeit
in different forms
and intensity,"
she told the 40th
board meeting
of the Regional
Tourism Organisation
of Southern Africa
(Retosa) at Swakopmund
recently.
She said although
work to enhance
tourism development
was an ongoing
process, the tourism
sector should
be geared to enhance
tourism's contribution
to economic growth
and development.
She called on
the delegates
to seize the opportunity
of next year's
FIFA World Cup
and African Cup
soccer tournaments
in South Africa
and Angola respectively.
The meeting at
Swakopmund was
attended by senior
Government officials
and delegates
from tourism umbrella
bodies from SADC's
14 member states.
SADC's Deputy
Executive Secretary,
Joao Caholo, said:
"It is critical
that we continue
to explore more
innovative ways
of enhancing expenditure
by the tourism
sector. During
the World Cup
event our resolve
to maximise our
tourism opportunities
cannot be doubted."
He said it was
important for
the tourism sector
to ensure that
its plans and
strategies for
the soccer events
are finalised
soon. "Given
that we are barely
a year away from
the event it is
important that
we create a lasting
impression to
visitors to this
event, who will
in turn be our
ambassadors to
the rest of the
world," he
said
The Pride of Preparing
SA for the Cup
Recent market
research commissioned
by FIFA suggests
that three out
of every four
people believe
that South Africa
will be ready
by the time the
event starts on
11 June 2010.
According to the
first installment
of a six-wave
public opinion
survey conducted
amongst South
African citizens
by international
research company
SPORT+MARKT, there
is an overwhelming
feeling of pride
concerning SA's
hosting of the
tournament: 88
percent of respondents
state they are
"proud South
Africa is hosting
the 2010 FIFA
World Cup".
Highlighting the
significant social
role the event
can play in the
future of a host
nation three-quarters
of the sample
feel the tournament
"will unite
the people of
South Africa".
What is more,
77 percent state
they are now more
confident the
tournament will
be a success compared
to how they felt
in 2004, when
SA was chosen
as host for 2010.
The perceived
advantages of
hosting the tournament
are also widely
recognised by
South Africans.
Ninety one percent
believe the FIFA
World Cup will
have positive
effects on the
South African
tourism industry,
with improvements
in the country's
infrastructure
such as roads,
public transport
and telecommunication
expected by almost
nine in 10 (87
percent). The
importance of
the role of host
is also firmly
acknowledged,
with 83 percent
agreeing that
"the 2010
FIFA World Cup
will improve South
Africa's image
abroad".
At the same time,
there are several
factors that are
of concern to
South Africans:
58 percent feel
the FIFA World
Cup will result
in inflated prices
for residents;
53 percent expect
increased traffic
congestion; and
just over half
of South Africans
(53 percent) worry
about the level
of crime during
the FIFA World
Cup in June and
July 2010 (36
percent disagreed,
11 percent were
unsure).
Despite these
concerns, the
results of the
survey bode well
for the FIFA World
Cup, with the
SA nation appearing
to recognise the
many advantages
of hosting the
event. As this
survey will be
conducted at regular
intervals up until
the 2010 FIFA
World Cup, it
will be possible
to track how attitudes
develop and fluctuate
over this period.
The urban representative
survey was conducted
amongst 1007 South
African respondents
in all major South
African cities
and 2010 FIFA
World Cup host
cities, with quotas
for ethnic origin,
age and gender.
Interviewing was
conducted face-to-face
in the calendar
weeks 49 - 50.
Safety
& Security
Concerns
Safety Month,
which is marked
in February, is
to be used to
showcase the Eastern
Cape's preparations
towards ensuring
the safety and
security of visitors
and residents
during the 2010
FIFA World Cup.
MEC for Housing
and Safety and
Liaison Thobile
Mhlahlo said it
was important
for people to
feel safe in the
province when
they arrive for
the world cup.
"We will
use this month
and the remaining
period to intensify
our efforts of
making this province
a safe destination
for 2010 and beyond.
"We will
intensify our
efforts to fight
crime and also
ensure that our
security preparations
for the world
cup are on track,"
he said.
Events planned
throughout Safety
Month will be
focused on mass
community mobilisation
against crime
and strengthening
of existing crime
fighting initiatives
in the province.
MEC Mhlahlo will
also during this
month visit the
world cup stadium
and the various
sites where South
African Police
Services members
will be deployed,
the newly upgraded
Mdantsane Police
stations, and
host debates at
schools on strategies
to deal with crime.
The safety programme
will conclude
with a Safety
and Security 2010
Summit to be held
in Nelson Mandela
Bay in March.
FIFA-Panini
Pact on Collectibles
FIFA and Panini,
described as the
world's largest
publisher of collectibles,
have signed an
exclusive joint
agreement for
the next six years
that will cover
the next two FIFA
World Cups in
South Africa 2010
and Brazil 2014
for trading cards
and sticker album
collections, it
was announced
recently.
According to FIFA,
Panini collections
have proven to
be so popular
over the last
10 tournaments
that Panini became
the natural choice
to continue its
work with FIFA.
The Panini Group
was established
almost 50 years
ago in Modena,
Italy and has
subsidiaries throughout
Europe and Latin
America.
Thierry Weil,
FIFA's director
of marketing,
said: "FIFA
is proud to work
with our long-term
licensee Panini
for the 2010 and
2014 FIFA World
Cups, especially
after the success
story of Germany
in 2006."
The 2006 FIFA
World Cup in Germany
created the opportunity
for Panini to
mastermind what
is reportedly
the most successful
collectable campaign
in history. Panini
sold its programme
in almost 100
countries around
the world, smashing
all previous sales
records.
Peter Warsop,
Panini's group
licensing director
said: "FIFA's
decision to re-appoint
us as its licensee
is a great reward
for the investments
made previously.
We are already
in discussions
with our promotional
partners and are
committed to continuing
the positive trends
we have already
seen across all
product categories.”
The
Cup that will
Chills You Down
Global brewer
Heineken says
it expects its
South African
brewery to be
complete by the
end of the year,
in time for the
2010 Soccer World
Cup next year.
The company said
in March it would
construct a brewery
near Sedibeng,
Gauteng, to brew
Amstel locally.
The announcement
came almost a
year after Heineken
revoked South
African Breweries'
(SAB's) licence
to brew Amstel
locally. Amstel
accounted for
9.0 percent of
the local market.
Amstel is being
imported from
the Netherlands
and distributed
locally by Brandhouse,
a joint venture
of Heineken, Diageo
and Namibia Breweries.
Brandhouse corporate
and brand public
relations manager
Priscilla Singh
said last week
the brewery project
was on schedule.
"The site
is a hive of activity,
and we are satisfied
with the progress
of the construction
at this time."
Heineken, Diageo
and Namibia Breweries
would also start
a new joint venture,
DHN Drinks, distributing
combined beer,
cider and ready-to-drink
products for the
three international
groups.
The brewery will
be 75 percent
owned by Heineken,
with Diageo holding
a 25 percent stake.
Grinaker LTA has
been contracted
to build the brewery,
while the managing
contractor is
BKS, a consulting
engineering and
management company
involved in the
Gautrain.
Singh estimated
the brewery would
employ about 250
people, most of
them already hired.
The brewery would
brew Heineken
and Amstel, but
there has been
talk of a joint
venture to brew
n Budweiser, the
official 2010
beer, at the Gauteng
site.
The brewery will
initially have
a capacity of
3-million hectolitres,
but its construction
will allow for
expansion.
Brandhouse would
continue to distribute
and market spirits.
Heineken and Diageo
will each own
42.25 percent
of DHN Drinks,
and Namibia Breweries
15,5%.
Drumming
Up Mass Support
for the Cup
The South African
government and
the Local Organising
Committee in Pretoria
will shortly launch
the 2010 Mass
Participation
Programme to drum
up support for
the 2010 FIFA
World Cup to be
held in 503 days.
The event which
will be held at
Galeshewe Stadium
in the Northern
Cape aims to ensure
that all South
Africans are part
of the World Cup
excitement by
encouraging and
supporting sport
in communities
throughout South
Africa.
The launch in
Kimberly will
be followed by
a slew of similar
events in all
nine provinces
as South Africa
builds up to the
2009 FIFA Confederations
Cup which will
be played in Johannesburg,
Pretoria, Rustenburg
and Mangaung/Bloemfontein.
"The Mass
Participation
Programme roadshow
is a partnership
between government,
represented by
the Department
of Sports and
Recreation, and
the 2010 FIFA
World Cup Organising
Committee. The
roadshows will
take place in
all nine provinces
between now and
June 2009,"
government said
in a statement.
South Africa's
yesteryear football
stars have also
been invited to
participate in
the event.
The 2010 Ambassadors,
football legends
Mark Fish, Phil
Masinga, Doctor
Khumalo and Desiree
Ellis, will carry
out coaching clinics
alongside local
development partners
on the day and
equipment will
be handed over
to the (South
African Football
Association) Safa
regions.
Regional coaches
have also been
selected to undergo
a SAFA introductory
course. The Minister
of Sports and
Recreation South
Africa, Reverend
Dr Makhenkesi
Stofile, and Northern
Cape Premier Dipuo
Peters, will be
among the dignitaries
attending the
event.
The decision to
award the hosting
of the 2010 FIFA
World Cup to South
Africa was met
with resounding
ululations, celebrations
and tears of joy
in May 2004.
Since then, South
Africa has embarked
on various development
projects in line
with the guarantees
made to FIFA.
The 15 guarantees
provided by various
government departments
cover access to
South Africa,
safety and security,
healthcare services,
transport and
telecommunications.
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