by Aubrey Matshiqi. Matshiqi is a senior research associate at the Centre for Policy Studies Ninety-seven sleeps from today, Bafana Bafana will win the toss against Mexico and millions around the globe will witness the first kick of the 2010 World Cup. Hopefully, the toss is not the last thing Bafana will win in the […]
Category: sports
Don’t panic, coach tells nation
Bafana Bafana coach Carlos Alberto Parreira urged the nation not to panic after an embarrassing 1-1 draw against lowly Namibia on Wednesday, but when is the time? The 81st-ranked Bafana were expected to brush aside the Namibians, ranked 30 places below South Africa in the world at a packed Moses Mabhida Stadium in Durban in […]
South Africa: No freebies, cut prices for World Cup
World Cup tickets will not be discounted or given away. At a conference at Sun City, Fifa general secretary Jerome Valcke lashed out at journalists following reports that ticket prices had been cut. Valcke said the football federation had made a pact with President Jacob Zuma that World Cup venues would be filled but this […]
English papers out to sabotage South Africa — Jordaan
WORLD football’s governing body Fifa went on the offensive yesterday in a growing row with English tabloid newspapers over the readiness of England’s base camp for the World Cup finals. A visibly irritated general secretary Jerome Valcke and his South African local organising committee counterpart, Danny Jordaan, used a news conference to refute allegations that […]
Command centre to co-ordinate World Cup traffic
The Department of Transport is to launch a “command centre” that will co-ordinate the transport plans for the nine host cities of the Soccer World Cup. The command and call centre would serve as a central hub of co- ordination for transport operations, information management and risk assessment throughout SA during the World Cup. Host […]
Fifa worry about use of muti
FIFA is concerned that players at the World Cup could use undetectable stimulants derived from traditional African medicines that aren’t currently banned substances. Fifa medical committee chairperson Michel D’Hooghe yesterday said he wanted the World Anti-Doping Agency (Wada) to analyse some African plants that could give athletes an unfair advantage. “I have a big concern […]
Work the Cup to the fullest
South Africans are likely to be drunk and disorderly during the World Cup – and employers are warned to prepare themselves for it. The Commission for Conciliation, Mediation and Arbitration said it had set up special units in all major host cities to arbitrate because there was an expectation that industrial action and cases between […]
Varsities' World Cup windfall
The universities have been accredited as one-star backpacking facilities for the duration of the cup. Johannesburg University spokesman Herman Esterhuizen said his institution had made a “substantial upfront investment” in upgrading its residences. “All the residences were renovated in the three years leading up to the event to comply with the standards set by the […]
Ticket prices reduced
South African football fans can start applying for World Cup tickets at reduced prices immediately. Ich Mkhondo, chief communications officer for the organising committee would not reveal how many “re-categorised” R140 Category1 tickets , which are reserved for South Africans only, were available. He said only that the tickets now formed part of the 400,000 […]
Africa Cup: record win for Egypt
Egypt has won the Africa Cup of Nations against Ghana in Luanda (Angola) today with one goal scored by Mohamed Gedo at the 85th minute. This is a record third successive time Egypt wins the Africa cup. “The substitute Mohamed Gedo scored the winner five minutes from full time after playing a one-two with Mohamed […]