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World Cup Preparations

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We are now just 61 days away from the opening game of the World Cup between South Africa and Mexico. So how do Cameroon plan to use these final two months to prepare the real thing?

Well the Cameroon Football Association has announced that they will hold a camp from April 12-16 in Yaoundé made up of 24 locally based players in a last ditch attempt to find possible new talent worthy of donning the Cameroon shirt in South Africa. It is somewhat doubtful whether any of the 24 men given this chance have a realistic opportunity at winning a place. This late in the game would seem to rule out any actual chance, but it does at least show that Paul Le Guen and is staff are willing to look at a large number of players in an attempt to piece together the best possible squad.

Cameroon will then set up camp in the Parisian suburb of Val d’Oise and train in the Michel Hidalgo Stadium. From France they will then travel to Germany as they begin the run-in to the World Cup with a series of friendlies starting on May 29th against fellow World Cup qualifiers Slovakia. This match will take place in the city of Klagenfurt. Following that on the June 1st they will face Portugal who have also qualified for the World Cup. This match will take place in the Portuguese city of Covilhã. And finally a week before the start of the tournament Cameroon will take part in their final friendly on June 5th against Serbia in Belgrade.

So Cameroon will be facing off against three World Cup teams from Europe. The Cameroon football association has done a top notch job of scheduling friendlies in the build up for the World Cup. They have already done battle with Italy and now get three more World Cup teams. Serbia and Portugal will be hoping that Cameroon serve as a bit of a barometer for their own African opposition of Ghana and Côte d’Ivoire respectively meanwhile Slovakia will just be looking to test themselves as they are in a group without African opposition.

The friendlies will be a great test to see how Cameroon handle world class attacking players such Marek Hamšík of Slovakia and Cristiano Ronaldo of Portugal. And it will be interesting to see if the Cameroon attack can get the better of defenders such as Ricardo Carvalho, Branislav Ivanović and Nemanja Vidić of Serbia.

These friendlies should prepare Cameroon’s 23 man squad for the matches that actually count against Denmark, Japan and The Netherlands starting with Japan June 14 in Bloemfontein. {#}

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posted @ 11:59 AM, ,

2010 World Cup tickets, 2010 World Cup Fixtures and tickets

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It's time to cheer for your favorite teams. The 2010 World Cup South Africa Draw took place on December 4, 2009. The 32 nations drawn into eight groups of four countries with the top two in each group advancing to the Round of 16. FIFA General Secretary Jerome Valcke announcing that the winner of the 2010 World Cup will win 31 million dollars (20.5 million euros)

The nine chosen South African cities to host the matches next summer are Johannesburg, which will have two venues, along with Cape Town, Durban, Pretoria, Port Elizabeth, Bloemfontein, Nelspruit, Polokwane and Rustenburg. The World Cup begins on Friday, June 11, 2010 ending on July 11, 2010.

I am including the 2010 World Cup South Africa Schedule, fixtures, and World Cup tickets links for each game. I will also cover the games having players from the Italian Serie A. Here are the 32 nations list participating in the FIFA 2010 World Cup.

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posted @ 11:56 AM, ,

FIFA World Cup trophy arrives in Toronto

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For the first time ever, the FIFA World Cup trophy makes a stop in Canada. Canadian dignitaries, athletes and dozens of fans welcomed the FIFA World Cup Trophy in Toronto on Wednesday.

Canadian artist K'NAAN, the artist behind the official 2010 FIFA World Cup anthem escorted the trophy off the plane. Holding the revered trophy is reserved only for heads of state and members of the FIFA World Cup winning teams.

The trophy is on an 138,902 km trip around the world, before it settles in South Africa in June for the start of the World Cup. It will be awarded to the winning nation at each tournament that occurs every four years.

The trophy stands around 36 centimetres high, weighs more than 13 pounds and is made of solid 18-karat gold. {#}

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posted @ 9:11 AM, ,

Hands-on: 2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa

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Every four years the sports world is graced with the largest soccer tournament on Earth. This year the World Cup will be played on African soil and to celebrate the games we're taking a look at EA's 2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa.

Jeff:
There's something special about EA's FIFA World Cup games. For the most part the action is relatively similar to FIFA 10, but perhaps it's the overall presentation and sense of realism that allow the game to assume its own identity.

Sure, there are a few new features in 2010 FIFA World Cup; you can now play the entire tournament online and there are some new penalties that get called during the action. A few trite coach cutaways aside, FIFA World Cup really does nail the feeling of excitement associated with the world's greatest sports tournament and is ultimately where the game shines the most.
(Credit: Gamespot)

Those looking for something completely unique from a gameplay standpoint may be disappointed as there aren't too many improvements found here. You may spot a few new replay angles here and there, but the game doesn't up the ante as much as we saw in 2006's Germany World Cup game.

We definitely feel 2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa is among the most accessible of games simply because of its international appeal and the amount of coverage the actual tournament gets here in the US. Casual soccer fans who may not be in line to buy FIFA each year definitely should give 2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa a look as it simplifies the soccer experience unlike the traditional yearly FIFA effort.

David:
EA Sports has learned through its market research that its World Cup-branded FIFA titles tend to appeal to less hard-core video soccer players who are simply inspired by the World Cup to buy the game. Thus, EA tries to make it more accessible to novice players while not offending advanced types. An example of this option is the new two-button control scheme that simplifies the whole passing and shooting situation for those who aren't ready to deal with a layered control scheme.

The folks at EA told me the gameplay has been tweaked from the standard FIFA 2010 game. While I didn't notice much difference when I was playing--it remains one of the most realistic looking sports games out there--you're basically getting a preview of FIFA 2011, which comes out in October. That said, there are some big changes in penalty-kick taking that require some getting used to (I missed more than I made at first). Since penalty kicks are a big part of the World Cup once you get to the knockout rounds, it helps to get this right pretty quickly or you'll find yourself cursing your penalty takers and throwing your controller on the floor in frustration.
(Credit: Gamespot)

You get your Be a Pro style feature in the Captain Your Country mode, which has you starting out as a B-Team player and working your way up the ranks (you can play with three other friends, who can control different players on the same team). And the other real differences involve the online play--EA's billing this as the first-ever full and authentic FIFA World Cup online tournament. Also, to add a little corporate sponsorship flare, EA's teamed up with Coke for some new "exclusive" user-controlled post goal-scoring celebrations (you get codes from Coke products). I find these sort of tie-ins irritating but they seem to be becoming more common.

Just so everybody's clear, you don't get access to club teams from around the world. This one's all about the national teams (I do look forward to the final U.S. roster, which will surely be different from the roster that ships with game but can be updated). I played mostly with the U.S., which more often than not made it out of the first round but encountered trouble in the Round of 16, where it always seemed to be up against Germany. I will probably shift to Brazil pretty soon.

A lot of people are asking whether it's worth buying this title if you already own FIFA 2010 and I'd say it's hard to resist. While it's not a big leap forward by any means, there's enough here for FIFA addicts to dig into to go out and buy this thing.

What do you guys think? {#}

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posted @ 9:09 AM, ,

A defensive lineman from Cameroon?

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Among the more than 300 high school football players who showed up Sunday at USC for the invitation-only Nike Camp, the most intriguing for me was 6-foot-7, 260-pound senior-to-be Stephan Nembot from Van Nuys Montclair Prep.

He's a native of Cameroon who played football for the first time last season. Basketball was supposed to be his sport. But he's a brilliant student, has come to enjoy football and if the college recruiters don't start coming around, it would be shocking because his physical stature is ideal for the sport.

"I think it's a great sport," said Nembot, who speaks fluent French and good English. "You have to be powerful. We don't have football in Africa."

There were big bodies and big names galore on the field. De'Anthony Thomas from Crenshaw made an appearance. The big-time recruits such as defensive linemen Jason Gibson from Gardena Serra and Charles Burks from Huntington Beach Edison were doing their thing.

Burks looks smaller than some running backs, but his agility, upper body strength and quickness explains why he had 14 sacks last season.

Among the quarterbacks participating was a surprise. Rio Ruiz, the sophomore baseball standout from La Puente Bishop Amat, decided to see how he matched up at quarterback. Let me say I would want Ruiz on my team in ping-pong, horseshoes or anything else.

Conner Preston from Serra, Jerry Neuheisel from Los Angeles Loyola and Michael Eubank from Corona Centennial were among the participants in a wide-open quarterback competition. There is no Matt Barkley for 2010, and I'm waiting to see if someone emerges as a clear-cut No. 1 in Southern California.

As for best athletes, I like Tre Madden from Mission Viejo, who plays linebacker, quarterback, receiver and anything Coach Bob Johnson can think of. There were lots of Mission Viejo players participating, and all looked in football shape.

I'll wait for the Internet gurus to let us know who were the camp standouts, but for my couple of hours spent there, finding a promising 6-7 player from Cameroon means it was a good day.

-- Eric Sondheimer

Photo: Stephan Nembot stretches along with the other Nike Camp participants at USC on Sunday. Credit: Eric Sondheimer / Los Angeles Times

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posted @ 2:28 PM, ,

SAfrica to go to FIFA after China cancels friendly in Germany

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By Gerald Imray

The South African Football Association says it will complain to FIFA after China canceled a friendly in Germany.

South Africa was scheduled to play China in Frankfurt on Wednesday as part of its World Cup preparations but the Chinese Football Association called off the game, saying Iceland's volcanic eruption made it "very difficult" to travel to Europe.

SAFA chief executive Leslie Sedibe said, "This is something we will take up with FIFA because we had an agreement with the China FA."

Bafana Bafana has played just one game during its German training camp, a 0-0 draw with North Korea.

Coach Carlos Alberto Parreira is desperate for South Africa to play competitive matches ahead of its June 11 World Cup opener against Mexico.

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posted @ 11:24 AM, ,

Hotel Reserved for German Squad

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South Africa - The hotel reserved for Germany's squad at the World Cup in South Africa does not have legal documentation to allow people to stay there.

FIFA's official World Cup Accommodation Office, which is operated by Match Event Services, signed a contract with The Velmore Hotel. But the hotel, near Pretoria, does not have an occupational certificate, the legal document that allows people to occupy the building.

"I won't lie to you, we don't have the documentation," Emil Keyser, owner of the Velmore, told The Associated Press on Friday.

FIFA referred The AP to a joint statement with the local organizing committee, saying it was aware of the issue and had no indication that Germany will change hotels.

"FIFA and the 2010 Organizing Committee are aware of discussions between the City of Tshwane and the Velmore Hotel - which will serve as the Team Base Camp of Germany during the 2010 FIFA World Cup - with regards to the issuing of an occupational certificate for the construction of the hotel," FIFA said in the statement.

FIFA called the matter "an ongoing one."

Keyser said the hotel had told all relevant parties, including FIFA, the World Cup's local organizing committee and the German football federation, of the discrepancy.

Keyser would not say if other official World Cup team bases were missing the required legal documentation.

"It would be unjust of me to comment, but we have experienced a boom (in South Africa) and people have built quickly," Keyser said.

Keyser said his hotel would apply for a section 14 order, which was a temporary occupational certificate, Wednesday. He said the Germany squad, which has exclusive use of what is currently an unlicensed hotel for the duration of the World Cup, was due to arrive June 5 or June 6.

German football federation spokesman Harald Stenger said the squad was still hoping to use the hotel as planned.

"We believe that all ambiguities will be clarified as soon as possible," Stenger said. "We only knew that the LOC, police and the hotel were discussing the final security details." {#}

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posted @ 10:58 AM, ,

FIFA Profile

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By WILLIAM L. WATTS

It may carry a lower profile than the International Olympic Committee, another Swiss-based international sports body. But the Federation Internationale de Football Association, or Fifa, is the overseer of international football, and has repeatedly shaken off regional in-fighting as well as a global recession to become arguably the most powerful sports organization on the planet.

It's all down to the World Cup—the quadrennial extravaganza that crowns the world's football champion and is rivaled only by the Olympics as the world's most watched sporting event.

Fifa President Sepp Blatter holds up the organization's annual financial report during a news conference at the Fifa headquarters in Zurich.

Joseph "Sepp" Blatter, who heads Fifa, last month was able to brag that annual revenue passed the $1 billion level in 2009 for the first time in its history, leaving the organization with a $196 million surplus.

SportCal, a London-based tracker of sponsorship and marketing deals, says Fifa is on target to see total revenue of around $3.4 billion over the current four-year World Cup cycle. That's up from the $2.3 billion in revenue raked in during the 2006 World Cup cycle that culminated in the championship played in Germany.

Founded in Paris in 1904, Fifa was created to help organize the growing number of international football matches.

The organization is essentially a federation made up of national football associations, which elect the president and other members of the organization's powerful executive committee. More than 200 national associations are members of Fifa.

Fifa's influence is wide. The organization recognizes regional federations—such as Europe's UEFA and CONCACAF, the Confederation of North, Central American and Caribbean Association Football—that oversee the game at the regional level.

Fifa also has four seats on the International Football Association Board (IFAB), which gives it enormous influence over the body that sets the world-wide rules of the game.

Mr. Blatter, who was first elected president of Fifa in 1998, came in for sharp media criticism this spring after IFAB rejected a plan to introduce goal-line replay technology—a move he defended as impractical on a global level due to high costs and potential interruptions to games.

Although the technology would be used only to determine if the ball crossed the goal line, the push for some type of replay capability had been reinvigorated by the fallout from Thierry Henry's handball in France's World Cup play-off victory over Ireland last fall.

Fifa and Mr. Blatter are heavily courted by world leaders and dignitaries. Critics charge that Mr. Blatter's ability to distribute largesse to member associations has helped him gain immunity from challenges to his role.

Controversy surrounded the 2001 collapse of International Sports & Leisure, a marketing firm that handled merchandising and stadium commercial rights for Fifa. The collapse put a strain on Fifa's finances, though the exact size of the impact was never made clear.

Swiss prosecutors dropped a related criminal investigation into allegations of corruption against Mr. Blatter in 2002, clearing the way for him to win his second term at the helm of the organization later that year.

Fifa suffered a bloody nose in 2006 when a U.S. district judge ruled that Fifa had breached a contract agreement with MasterCard Inc. and sharply criticized the organization's business tactics. Fifa had dropped MasterCard as a sponsor, awarding the slot to rival Visa Inc. MasterCard charged the move violated its first-refusal rights under its existing contract. The judge found that Fifa had lied to both MasterCard and Visa during the negotiations.

Fifa declined to make officials available for an interview.

"On the one hand, you have to credit Fifa for making a number of bold and smart business decisions" over the years, said Adam C. Silverstein, a New York-based partner at Golenbock Eiseman Assor Bell & Peskoe who represented MasterCard in the trial.

For instance, Fifa now requires sponsors to sign up for two World Cup cycles, a decision that now looks smart in the wake of a global recession that could have made it more difficult to hold onto top-tier partners headed into the 2014 World Cup, he said.

"On the other hand, as the judge made plain and exposed in the decision through the discovery and the trial that we conducted, their operating procedures, their tactics, are not appropriate," he said. "They conduct themselves as if they are accountable to no one."

An appeals court later vacated the ruling and remanded the case to a lower court. In the end, MasterCard walked away with a $90 million settlement.

Alan Tomlinson, a University of Brighton professor and expert on world football, said the clout associated with the World Cup has served as a shield for the organization.

"People are still chasing what Fifa gives," he said.

Meanwhile, Fifa has successfully rebounded after foundering in the wake of the International Sports & Leisure collapse.

When it comes to revenue, television rights are the big driver, projected to rise by $1.1 billion from the 2006 cycle to $2.5 billion by the time a new champion is crowned in Johannesburg, SportCal estimates. "It's must-have television," said Simon Ward, deputy editor of SportCal.

The growth in part reflects changes in how FIFA awards television rights, Mr. Ward said.

In Europe, for example, FIFA used to award rights to the European Broadcasting Union, a confederation of mostly public-service broadcasters, for a lump sum. That's not the case for the 2010 World Cup.

Instead, Fifa sold rights to individual nations in Europe's biggest markets—France, Germany, Italy, Spain and Great Britain, Mr. Ward said. Then they completed a separate deal with EBU for other European territories.

"Being able to sell territory by territory can get individual broadcasters to compete against each other, and you can raise a lot more money that way," he said.

On top of that, Fifa has also managed to take advantage of new or growing revenue streams, including mobile and Internet rights, he said.

Then there are sponsorship revenues, which were boosted by the decision to make top-tier sponsors, known as partners, sign on for two consecutive World Cup cycles.

It isn't clear how much the current crop of Fifa partners—Adidas AG, Coca Cola Co., Emirates Airline, Hyundai Motor Co., Sony Corp., and Visa—pay for the privilege.

Not only is the take thought to be quite huge, most of the sponsors in the top tiers are also heavily involved in football through other sponsorships.

And after securing a position as a sponsor, they're keen to spend further money through events such as Coke's World Cup Trophy Tour, highlighting their involvement in the competition, said Robert Tuchman, executive vice president of Premiere Global Sports, a New York-based sports-marketing firm.

As a result, the sponsors "leverage more dollars into what they're already paying Fifa and Fifa benefits from the promotion," he said.

Bringing the 2010 World Cup to South Africa was decided amid worries over the nation's infrastructure and other concerns. But the decision appears likely to be another winner for Fifa, which is enjoying a very successful World Cup from a marketing standpoint, Mr. Tuchman said.

—William L. Watts is a reporter for MarketWatch in London.

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posted @ 3:40 PM, ,

South Africa's World Cup gamble

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World Cup organizers still have 355,000 tickets to sell in the eight weeks leading up to the World Cup as they continue to sacrifice short-term profits for the sake of long-term benefits and a better image for South Africa. Officials will be relieved that 145,000 match tickets were sold in the first four days of the final sales phase.

But more sales are needed if FIFA, the sport's world body, is to avoid a public relations problem of empty seats at stadiums.

Organizers have been forced to offer cheaper tickets to ensure all 11 World Cup stadiums -- and not just those staging the most popular games -- are full.

Copyright 2010 The Associated Press

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posted @ 3:38 PM, ,

FIFA begins push to shift tickets

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By Soccernet staff

As FIFA begins its phase of over-the-counter sales for World Cup tickets, organising committee chief executive Danny Jordaan has conceded it will be "tragic" if the tournament witnesses empty seats.

Danny Jordaan
GettyImagesDanny Jordaan unveils the official World Cup ticket

Around 500,000 tickets remain unsold for the finals in South Africa and from Thursday, locals will be able to make cash purchases of tickets at supermarkets, ticketing centres and online in an effort to ensure that the stands are adequately filled.

The global recession has been blamed for the prediction that 350,000 visitors will travel to South Africa, 100,000 lower than original estimates. It is also believed that high prices have put off European supporters.

Demand for hospitality packages has also been lower than expected but FIFA hopes that increasing the number of tickets available to local fans will result in bulging crowds when the tournament starts in June.

"If we have empty stadiums, it will reinforce the idea that football is not supported in the country and that would be tragic," Jordaan said in the Sun. "The reality is that this is a football-mad country.

"We have always said that it is important that we make this World Cup more accessible to the people and, with the over-the-counter sales, we believe this measure is consistent with the needs of the fans."

It is reported that 300 tickets for the final itself will go on sale to the general public on Thursday.

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posted @ 8:26 AM, ,

Empower Your Autos

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Car lovers and those who like to have a powerful drive on road know how important it is to have a powerful light while out on the road. The fact that bad visibility while traveling is one of the major cases of road accidents that could have been avoided if the visibility was good and the drivers could see properly. It is in this milieu that I always recommend that one should invest in powerful car lights. One of the best places to start looking for good light is CARiD.com.

CARiD.com is featuring projector headlights. Projector Headlights (and also wide range of Car Accessories and Truck Accessories) on display are best designed by experts and manufactured by professionals and that makes Projector headlights as one of the best and most useful precautionary upgrades one can make (and should make).

Have a look at their new R8 Style LED Projector Headlights and see how it can add new dimension and safety to your auto. R8 Style LED Projector Headlights feature bold projector lenses backed by an LED strip and it is available in different shapes, frames and colors. You can choose what suit your own auto.

CARiD.com is one of the best places to shop for auto accessories. Browse their neatly laid out and users friendly website and see what they are offering and how. All products are methodically listed and it is easy to find what you may be looking for. You can shop by vehicle, shop by product, shop by brand or the way you like. Their search function is also very efficient. They have best customers service practices (like price match guarantee as well as an easy returns policy).

Those who like cars would love CARiD.com from where they can have so much to empower their autos. Try them.

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posted @ 3:06 PM, ,

World Cup 2010 Squad (or Roster) Deadline?

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The World Cup is getting closer every day, and so people are starting to ask the question: When is the World Cup squad deadline? Other people are asking: When is the World Cup roster deadline? Which is just the same question with different terminology. Basically we all want to know when each of the 32 World Cup teams will submit their final lists of 23 World Cup players to FIFA, mostly so we can start judging them. Also because it would make our World Cup team profiles a lot easier to write.

Unfortunately it’s hard to get a straight answer on exactly when this deadline is. There’s a May 11th deadline for submitting a 30 man preliminary squad to FIFA, but no publicly available fixed deadline for cutting that 30 man squad down to 23. FIFA’s official World Cup 2010 Regulations document states only that the 23 man squad is required “prior to the kick-off of the opening match in accordance with the deadline stipulated in the relevant FIFA circular.” Presumably this circular has been sent only to football associations and such, but a recent quote from France coach Raymond Domenech would seem to suggest said deadline is June 1st:

“They must be clever and forget their ego to realise that the only thing that matters is the team, not them,” Domenech told French daily L’Equipe in an interview published on Tuesday. “If they don’t understand that, I will need a gun. We’re only supposed to give our final squad on June 1.”


So there you have it. Sort of. Below you’ll find the relevant section of the official FIFA document:


26. List of players, rest period, preparationphase – final competition

1. Each association that qualifi es for the fi nal competition shall send FIFA a list of 30 players (showing the full last name(s), all fi rst names, popular name, place and date of birth, passport number, club and country of the club, height, weight, number of caps won, number of goals scored) whom it has called up in accordance with the relevant provisions of Annex 1 of the FIFA Regulations for the Status and Transfer of Players. The release list of 30 players must be sent to FIFA by 11 May 2010 (30 days prior to the kick-off of the opening match).

2. The release lists of 30 players will be published by the FIFA general secretariat.

3. Each association will then be required to provide FIFA with a final list of no more than 23 players (three of whom shall be goalkeepers). This final list is limited to the players on the release list. The association must send this final list to FIFA prior to the kick-off of the opening match in accordance with the deadline stipulated in the relevant FIFA circular.

4. The final list of not more than 23 players (showing the full last name(s), all first names, popular name, number on the shirt, position, place and date of birth, passport number, club and country of the club, height, weight, number of caps won, number of goals scored) shall be submitted to the FIFA general secretariat, using the official form for this purpose. Only the numbers 1 to 23 may be allocated to these players, with number 1 being reserved exclusively for one of the goalkeepers. The shirt numbers for the remaining two goalkeepers may be any of the numbers between 2 and 23. The numbers on the back of the shirts shall correspond with the numbers indicated on the final list. Only these 23 players (except in cases of force majeure recognised by the FIFA Organising Committee) will be permitted to compete in the final competition.

5. The final lists of 23 players will be published by the FIFA general secretariat.

6. A player listed on the final list may only be replaced in the event of serious injury up until 24 hours before the kick-off of his team’s first match. The replacement players do not need to be limited to the release list of 30 players. Such replacements must be approved in writing by the FIFA Medical Committee upon receipt and acceptance of a detailed medical assessment in one of the four official FIFA languages. The FIFA Medical Committee will approve the request if the injury is suffi ciently serious to prevent the player from taking part in the competition. The participating member association shall inform FIFA accordingly of the player’s full details (cf. art. 26, par. 4) at the same time as when submitting the request to replace the injured player.

7. All 23 players shall be named on the list of players for each match (11 selected players and 12 substitutes). Up to a maximum of three of the substitutes may take the place of the selected players at any time during the match.

8. Not more than 23 people (11 offi cials and 12 substitutes) shall be allowed to sit on the substitutes’ bench.

9. Before the start of the final competition, all listed players must prove their identity, nationality and age by producing their legally valid individual passport with photograph (stating day, month and year of birth). Any player who fails to submit his passport will not be allowed to take part in the final competition. Every player must also sign a declaration of compliance wherein he agrees to submit to these Regulations.

10. To protect players from burn-out before the final competition of the 2010 FIFA World Cup™, the following dates shall apply:

16 May 2010
Final match day at club level for the 30 players nominated on the release
lists for the fi nal competition of the 2010 FIFA World Cup™.

17-23 May 2010
Mandatory rest period for the players on the release lists. Players of the
two teams involved in the UEFA Champions League Final on 22 May
2010 will be granted permission to play, by way of exception, by the FIFA
Executive Committee.

24 May – 10 June 2010
The preparation phase for the participating members associations in the
final competition of the 2010 FIFA World Cup™.

Source: Regulations, 2010 World Cup South Africa, pages 33 to 35, retrieved April 14th, 2010.

So again, here’s how it seems to work:

* May 11th is the deadline for preliminary 30 man World Cup squads. If you don’t make this list of 30, you’re basically not going.
* Deadline for cutting this 30 man squad down to 23 is “prior to the kick-off of the opening match in accordance with the deadline stipulated in the relevant FIFA circular.”
* The recent quote from Raymond Domenech seems to suggest that said deadline has been circulated, and is June 1st.
* However, other media outlets disagree. ESPN recently claimed the deadline was June 5th.
* Seems this Deutsche Presse-Agentur release is where ESPN got the June 5th date from, but said release also believes the preliminary squads will be made up of 35 and not 30 players, which directly contradicts the FIFA doc.
* So, basically we’re not sure. But “early June” would be a good guess for the actual deadline, and I wouldn’t be surprised if a lot of teams named their squads even earlier than that.

Three other thoughts:

* Why does FIFA need to know every player’s weight? Will they be making a special World Cup edition of The Biggest Loser?
* The document clearly states that every 23 man squad must contain three goalkeepers. So anyone arguing for their squad to take only two keepers and an extra outfield player should cease and desist.
* FIFA should just make the final deadline date public. It’s almost as if they’re paying more attention to the coaches and federations than they are to this blog.

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posted @ 8:12 AM, ,

Pakistan Will Provide Hand Stitched Soccer Balls

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We may call it stereotyping, but it’s true. When people would hear someone to be a Pakistani or anything about Pakistan, they tend to conclude something about war and terrorism. But it very wrong to do that. All nations have its own bad side and good side. People in a certain country are not all terrible people. Though Pakistan experienced these allegations, it has a unique and ’something-to-be-proud-of’ skill. This thing could make the most sought after and most famous game in the world to be possible. It is the Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) World Cup.

Pakistan will providing the hand stitched soccer balls for the game. “A good player will play with this ball, it makes me feel good, it brightens our country’s reputation and that makes me feel proud,” says one young man as he continues stitching about six to eight balls a day. The balls are under the roof of Forward Sports.

“The ball stitched in Pakistan will definitely be of a higher quality,” said Khawaja Masood Akhtar, the owner of Forward Sports. For years now, Forward Sports has been binding the tradition of craftsmanship with the demands of research and development. Their goal here is to not just meet, but surpass FIFA standards. {Via}

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posted @ 8:37 AM, ,

Fifa's Profile Rises Ahead of World Cup

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By WILLIAM L. WATTS

It may carry a lower profile than the International Olympic Committee, another Swiss-based international sports body. But the Federation Internationale de Football Association, or Fifa, is the overseer of international football, and has repeatedly shaken off regional in-fighting as well as a global recession to become arguably the most powerful sports organization on the planet.

It's all down to the World Cup—the quadrennial extravaganza that crowns the world's football champion and is rivaled only by the Olympics as the world's most watched sporting event.

Fifa President Sepp Blatter holds up the organization's annual financial report during a news conference at the Fifa headquarters in Zurich.

Joseph "Sepp" Blatter, who heads Fifa, last month was able to brag that annual revenue passed the $1 billion level in 2009 for the first time in its history, leaving the organization with a $196 million surplus.

SportCal, a London-based tracker of sponsorship and marketing deals, says Fifa is on target to see total revenue of around $3.4 billion over the current four-year World Cup cycle. That's up from the $2.3 billion in revenue raked in during the 2006 World Cup cycle that culminated in the championship played in Germany.

Founded in Paris in 1904, Fifa was created to help organize the growing number of international football matches.

The organization is essentially a federation made up of national football associations, which elect the president and other members of the organization's powerful executive committee. More than 200 national associations are members of Fifa.

Fifa's influence is wide. The organization recognizes regional federations—such as Europe's UEFA and CONCACAF, the Confederation of North, Central American and Caribbean Association Football—that oversee the game at the regional level.

Fifa also has four seats on the International Football Association Board (IFAB), which gives it enormous influence over the body that sets the world-wide rules of the game.

Mr. Blatter, who was first elected president of Fifa in 1998, came in for sharp media criticism this spring after IFAB rejected a plan to introduce goal-line replay technology—a move he defended as impractical on a global level due to high costs and potential interruptions to games.

Although the technology would be used only to determine if the ball crossed the goal line, the push for some type of replay capability had been reinvigorated by the fallout from Thierry Henry's handball in France's World Cup play-off victory over Ireland last fall.

Fifa and Mr. Blatter are heavily courted by world leaders and dignitaries. Critics charge that Mr. Blatter's ability to distribute largesse to member associations has helped him gain immunity from challenges to his role.

Controversy surrounded the 2001 collapse of International Sports & Leisure, a marketing firm that handled merchandising and stadium commercial rights for Fifa. The collapse put a strain on Fifa's finances, though the exact size of the impact was never made clear.

Swiss prosecutors dropped a related criminal investigation into allegations of corruption against Mr. Blatter in 2002, clearing the way for him to win his second term at the helm of the organization later that year.

Fifa suffered a bloody nose in 2006 when a U.S. district judge ruled that Fifa had breached a contract agreement with MasterCard Inc. and sharply criticized the organization's business tactics. Fifa had dropped MasterCard as a sponsor, awarding the slot to rival Visa Inc. MasterCard charged the move violated its first-refusal rights under its existing contract. The judge found that Fifa had lied to both MasterCard and Visa during the negotiations.

"On the one hand, you have to credit Fifa for making a number of bold and smart business decisions" over the years, said Adam C. Silverstein, a New York-based partner at Golenbock Eiseman Assor Bell & Peskoe who represented MasterCard in the trial.

For instance, Fifa now requires sponsors to sign up for two World Cup cycles, a decision that now looks smart in the wake of a global recession that could have made it more difficult to hold onto top-tier partners headed into the 2014 World Cup, he said.

"On the other hand, as the judge made plain and exposed in the decision through the discovery and the trial that we conducted, their operating procedures, their tactics, are not appropriate," he said. "They conduct themselves as if they are accountable to no one."

An appeals court later vacated the ruling and remanded the case to a lower court. In the end, MasterCard walked away with a $90 million settlement.

Alan Tomlinson, a University of Brighton professor and expert on world football, said the clout associated with the World Cup has served as a shield for the organization.

"People are still chasing what Fifa gives," he said.

Meanwhile, Fifa has successfully rebounded after foundering in the wake of the International Sports & Leisure collapse.

When it comes to revenue, television rights are the big driver, projected to rise by $1.1 billion from the 2006 cycle to $2.5 billion by the time a new champion is crowned in Johannesburg, SportCal estimates. "It's must-have television," said Simon Ward, deputy editor of SportCal.

The growth in part reflects changes in how FIFA awards television rights, Mr. Ward said.

In Europe, for example, FIFA used to award rights to the European Broadcasting Union, a confederation of mostly public-service broadcasters, for a lump sum. That's not the case for the 2010 World Cup.

Instead, Fifa sold rights to individual nations in Europe's biggest markets—France, Germany, Italy, Spain and Great Britain, Mr. Ward said. Then they completed a separate deal with EBU for other European territories.

"Being able to sell territory by territory can get individual broadcasters to compete against each other, and you can raise a lot more money that way," he said.

On top of that, Fifa has also managed to take advantage of new or growing revenue streams, including mobile and Internet rights, he said.

Then there are sponsorship revenues, which were boosted by the decision to make top-tier sponsors, known as partners, sign on for two consecutive World Cup cycles.

It isn't clear how much the current crop of Fifa partners—Adidas AG, Coca Cola Co., Emirates Airline, Hyundai Motor Co., Sony Corp., and Visa—pay for the privilege.

Not only is the take thought to be quite huge, most of the sponsors in the top tiers are also heavily involved in football through other sponsorships.

And after securing a position as a sponsor, they're keen to spend further money through events such as Coke's World Cup Trophy Tour, highlighting their involvement in the competition, said Robert Tuchman, executive vice president of Premiere Global Sports, a New York-based sports-marketing firm.

As a result, the sponsors "leverage more dollars into what they're already paying Fifa and Fifa benefits from the promotion," he said.

Bringing the 2010 World Cup to South Africa was decided amid worries over the nation's infrastructure and other concerns. But the decision appears likely to be another winner for Fifa, which is enjoying a very successful World Cup from a marketing standpoint, Mr. Tuchman said.

—William L. Watts is a reporter for MarketWatch in London.

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posted @ 9:03 PM, ,

Multimillion dollar Fifa handout

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By Michael Brown

As many as 11 New Zealand clubs stand to share in a US$40 million ($56.5 million) Fifa handout to compensate clubs with players at the World Cup.

Fifa will for the first time hand out money to clubs who have players at June's World Cup as remuneration for player development.

A formula has been worked out which will see each player earn US$1600 ($2260) per day as long as their team remains in the competition. This will be paid to clubs for players who have represented them over the previous two years.

With six players virtually guaranteed a place on the 23-man All Whites squad, the Wellington Phoenix will be the biggest beneficiary in this country.

The club will also receive money for David Mulligan, should he be selected - he was recently released but spent the past two years in Wellington - as well as Shane Smeltz and Glen Moss, who were both on their books in 2008/09.

Assuming the All Whites don't make it past the first round, the Phoenix could make around US$192,000 ($271,000).


Payments are made from June 10 until each team is eliminated, which amounts to US$24,000 for each player.

The Phoenix are owned by businessman Terry Serepisos, whose personal fortune is estimated at $140 million. He has said it costs him $1 million a year to finance the club, but is happy to remain its benefactor.

The payouts are arguably more significant for New Zealand's NZFC and winter league clubs.

Team Wellington can expect half shares for both Andy Barron and James Bannatyne, with the rest going to their winter league clubs Miramar and Petone respectively.

Auckland City will bank on money for Ivan Vicelich (sister club Central United will also cash in because he was loaned out to the winter league club last season) and will also hope both Chad Coombes and Jason Hayne make the final cut.

Coombes also played two seasons with Lynn Avon, while Hayne has played for Manawatu and a club on the Gold Coast.

"This money would be very important for a club like ours," Auckland City chairman Ivan Vuksich said.

"The money we managed to retain after the Club World Cup, and if we get any players into the All Whites, will go into a community project we have committed to."

It's understood they are building an artificial turf with a community group.

posted @ 1:19 PM, ,

The Ball

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After the passing of the World Cup trophy a few weeks ago in Yaoundé, Cameroon will again welcome, on April 14, the World Cup ball, simply called “the Ball” before continuing its journey to South Africa.

It is the Special Olympics Cameroon (SOC) association, a dismemberment of Special Olympics, which received approval to host the week-long event, Cameroon’s online website said.

“The Ball” will stay in Cameroon for one week, and it will leave on April 21 for Kenya, Tanzania, Malawi, Zambia, Namibia, and Botswana before ending in the land of Nelson Mandela where it will be played, from 11 June to 11 July, the first African World Cup.

“The Ball” is to football what the Olympic flame is to the Olympic Games. Its journey across the world is an initiative by the Special Olympics International in partnership with the “Spirit of Football” Association.

The event takes place every four years, in preparation for the final phase of the World Cup.

During the stay of the 2010 World Cup ball in Cameroon, the organizers have planned many activities, including football matches, cultural and free medical consultations for people with mental disabilities.

The world tour of “The Ball” is primarily to collect 100,000 signatures on the ball. Cameroon, South Africa, Algeria, Nigeria, Ghana and Cote d’Ivoire are the countries that will represent Africa at the 2010 World Cup. -APA news

posted @ 12:09 PM, ,

Viva FIFA

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Ronald Chan

The most anticipated event of the year, the FIFA World Cup, is approaching. With 32 national teams competing in 64 matches this June and July in South Africa, the world has a good reason to slow down and enjoy the games.

While in the financial world investors are concerned with the sovereign-debt troubles of the PIIGS (Portugal, Italy, Ireland, Greece and Spain), most of these countries are indeed top contenders in the football world.

The PIIGS, excluding Ireland, currently rank 10th, 5th, 23rd, and 1st, respectively, in the likelihood of bringing home the iconic World Cup trophy. That trophy stands at 36.5 centimeters tall and weighs 5 kilograms. It is made of 18 carat or 75 percent gold.

It is worth mentioning that the melt value of the trophy has increased dramatically over time.

When the trophy was first presented at the 1974 World Cup to West German captain Franz Beckenbauer, gold was trading at US$155 (HK$1,209). The trophy's melt value was US$20,500.

Now that gold has been hovering at around US$1,100, the same trophy could be liquidated for more than US$145,000. That said, the World Cup has an overall estimated brand value of US$120 million for every day of the event.

Despite the champion being showered in glory and returning home to outpourings of national pride, the ultimate winner of the tournament is the Federation Internationale de Football Association or FIFA.

According to Citigroup economist Jean Francois Mercier, FIFA, the monopoly organizer, is the main beneficiary while the host nation always carries a disproportionate share of the cost burden.

Using the 2006 World Cup in Germany as an example, FIFA was responsible for the prize money, travel compensation for participating teams, and preparation costs.

The total expenses were roughly 222 million euros (HK$2.32 billion). FIFA's profit from television and marketing rights, in contrast, amounted to over 1.4 billion euros.

According to Forbes magazine, this year's World Cup is expected to top 2006 in terms of advertising and media revenues by as much as US$600 million. With FIFA pocketing most of the revenues, not much will be left for the South African economy.

Although the World Cup generally casts the host nation in a positive light, its economic impact tends to be minimal.

In 2006, Germany generated an extra 300 million euros from tourism and 2 billion euros from retail sales during the tournament. Its infrastructure spending in preparation for the competition, on the other hand, was 3.7 billion euros.

If history provides a hint, the result this year will be somewhat similar in South Africa.

The economic benefit of the event for the host country will probably be small, but the intangible benefits, such as increased levels of tourism through an enhanced national image, could be enormous.

According to the International Monetary Fund journal, hosting a mega event such as the World Cup mainly sends a signal that a country is serious about opening up for trade and entering the world stage.

With an expected 450,000 visitors to join the World Cup frenzy, South Africa has spent an estimated 33 billion South African rand (HK$35.29 billion) on infrastructure for the tournament. Most of the spending has gone into building five new stadiums and upgrading five existing stadiums.

Other spending has included airport expansion, extra lanes on highways, and minor fix-ups such as streetlights and so forth.

Yet, this spending has been relatively insignificant as the government already has a 846 billion rand budget for infrastructure projects to be completed over the next few years.

The World Cup spending could be seen merely as a way of accelerating at least some existing projects.

Economists have predicted that South Africa will add only an extra 0.5 percent growth to its GDP due to the World Cup in the second quarter, followed by a slight dip in the third quarter.

Nevertheless, with the global economy gradually recovering, investors may soon set aside their concerns with the PIIGS as long as these teams put on a good show at the World Cup. Viva la FIFA!

Ronald Chan is the founder and chief executive of Chartwell Capital, a private investment company.

E-mail: ronald@chartwell- capital.com.hk

posted @ 8:45 AM, ,

Fifa remains steadfast – SA is ready

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AMID reports about South Africa’s readiness or lack thereof for the World Cup tournament, Fifa remains steadfast that the country is ready for the soccer showpiece.

Fifa secretary-general Jerome Valcke insisted at a media briefing this week that his organisation is confident that South Africa will deliver.

Valcke said this at the briefing which followed after the World Cup board met in Sandton in Johannesburg.

“Where we are now we can say we are ready as we have the stadiums. The Fifa competitions director says South African stadiums are better than it was the case with Germany,” said Valcke.
The Frenchman also dismissed concerns about pitches at some of the stadiums.

“The pitches which were a talking point a few weeks ago are okay now,” he said. “We will have the pitches we want during the World Cup.

“We are confident as we always were about the World Cup in South Africa. It’s time for me to close my eyes and ears and not listen or see anything until the 11th of June. We have to work together to deliver the World Cup.”

Danny Jordaan, the chief executive of the World Cup local organising committee (LOC), concurred.
“The World Cup is about the infrastructure which we have in place,” said Jordaan.

“We have magnificent stadiums which rank among the best in the world.”

Jordaan also revealed that the LOC has used 32 percent of the 423million they got from Fifa.

“We are within our budget and that’s so because of the financial prudence and discipline we have. We are left with 68 percent which we will use in the running of the World Cup,” he said.
LOC chairperson Irvin Khoza commented on the controversy surrounding the June 10 Fifa concert which will be held at Orlando Stadium in Soweto. South African artists have complained saying they have been sidelined in favour of their overseas counterparts.

“The board has noted that concert is a Fifa event and it must have international characters,” he said.

“We have appointed a committee to look at the issue and they will report to us on April 12.”
The committee consists of board members Jordaan, Zwelinzima Vavi, Tokyo Sexwale and Kirsten Nemtandani. - By MONWABISI JIMLONGO

posted @ 7:19 PM, ,

Boston College's Iranian Writer on FIFA's Ban on Headscarves

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Before Shahryar Mandanipour left Iran in 2006 to become writer in residence first at Brown University, then Harvard, and now Boston College, before there were attempts to assassinate him in his native Iran, before his writing was banned, he was blackballed, and his literary magazine shut down by the Iranian Ministry of Culture and Guidance - before all that, Mandanipour was the captain of the football team at the University of Tehran. The game was the center of his life.

One of the recollections he has shared with me from that time was of sneaking his girlfriend into a stadium to watch one of his games. For both, the repercussions for being caught would have been expulsion, imprisonment, or worse. She was so happy. She had never seen a real soccer game before because since the 1979 Revolution, women in Iran are not allowed to enter stadiums and watch the games.

The recent FIFA decision to uphold its ban on headscarves in the case of the Iranian girls’ team in the Youth Olympics this August resonates with Mandanipour. Iranian officials had asked FIFA to reconsider the ban, otherwise they would not permit the girls the play. FIFA decided against them, ruling that it was a violation of Section 8 of the international rulebook which regulates on-field attire, and invited Thailand to participate in Singapore in place of Iran. Iranian officials have now requested FIFA to reconsider their decision.
fifa ban on headscarves iran hajib youth olympics shahyrar mandanipour
Iranian women protesters

“Yes, FIFA made this decision,” Mandanipour told me on Wednesday. “Today I learnt that persons who charged in Football Federation have known it three months ago and they didn't announce it. I am not sure but might be a good decision, because participating with Islamic Hijab in such events, somehow is humiliating to Iranian women. Iranian women are fighting bravely for their rights and I am sure they will win someday.”

Mandanipour left Iran for the United States in 2006 and is the author of 12 books, most recently the acclaimed Censoring an Iranian Love Story. Wednesday, April 14, Mandanipour will speak at the Visiting Writers Series at Harvard University. The event is free and open to the public.

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posted @ 9:02 AM, ,

South Africa Challenges

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By Gerald Imray, AP Sports Writer

World Cup organizing chief Danny Jordaan said Thursday South Africa still has challenges to meet just two months before the start of the tournament.

Security concerns following an upsurge in racial tensions and disappointing ticket sales are undermining the first African host's preparations for the World Cup.

"We've achieved a lot, we still have challenges," Jordaan said as the organizing committee reported that it was on track to deliver the tournament within budget.

When asked if organizers feared a violent reaction during the competition to the murder last weekend of right-wing leader Eugene Terreblanche, Jordaan said: "No, it's not going to happen."

There were already question marks over team and fan safety at the monthlong tournament before Terreblanche's murder brought South Africa's violent crime problem to the fore again.

FIFA and tournament organizers have said they will not comment on the case. FIFA secretary general Jerome Valcke only addressed general security matters on Thursday.

"Whatever is happening, we are dealing with security and it's not public," Valcke said. "On security, we have done the maximum we can do."

On the readiness of the country to host the World Cup, Valcke said: "We are confident. We have been for a long time."

Valcke likened the last two months of preparation to a train ride, with no more stops between now and kickoff on June 11, and no way back.

"Whatever I'm hearing, whatever I'm reading, it's too late," Valcke said. "When you are organizing an event, you are waiting for the end, for the final, for July 12, where you can say, 'Gosh, it's over'."

Valcke said the former head of operations at Interpol had now joined FIFA as its security adviser but did not say if it was related to an increased security threat in South Africa.

South Africa's place in the international spotlight as host of one of the world's biggest sporting events has coincided with a number of recent race-related incidents which have cast the country in an unflattering light.

Terreblanche, a notorious white supremacist, was bludgeoned to death last Saturday near the town of Ventersdorp, northwest of Johannesburg. Police say he was killed by two black farm workers in a wage dispute but Terreblanche's Afrikaner Weerstandsbeweging (AWB) group say the murder was linked to the singing of a revolutionary song by black youth leader Julius Malema.

There were confrontations between blacks and whites following Terreblanche's murder, and an AWB official stormed off a television debate Wednesday after arguing with and then threatening a black woman.

In the midst of this, the message from World Cup organizers is that the tournament will be safe and a success.

"The (World Cup) infrastructure is not just in place; it is world class." Jordaan said. "Our stadiums were ranked among the best in the world. We have 68 percent of our budget left to deliver the World Cup and we have completed the stadiums.

"We are in a good position to deliver the event, which we want to be world class."

Jordaan said this World Cup was about the people of the country embracing the event.

Organizers hope there is still both time and a desire for visitors to come to the country and boost disappointing ticket sales.

"Be South African and be a good host," Jordaan said to the home fans on the same day Malema, the president of the ANC's youth league, swore at and then asked security to remove a foreign journalist from a news conference at the ruling party's headquarters.

Jordaan would not comment on the incident, saying he did not know the details, but said: "All of us must act as good hosts."

On broader World Cup issues, Jordaan said "This country cannot cut itself off from the international community.

"The teams coming here, (Lionel) Messi is an international and so is (Cristiano) Ronaldo and so is Kaka. This World Cup must reintegrate South Africa as part of the global community."

Jordaan said the global economic climate -- not South Africa's reputation -- had affected ticket sales.

Foreign visitors are expected to fall well short of the 450,000 expected for the tournament, but organizers remain positive, saying ticket sales compared favorably with the same point in 2006 ahead of the World Cup in Germany.

Organizing committee chairman Irvin Khoza said he was confident that South Africa could overcome the world's skepticism ahead of the "biggest show on planet earth."

Copyright 2010 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

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posted @ 10:50 AM, ,

FIFA World Cup Trophy Tour

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According to Coca-Cola, the FIFA World Cup Trophy, will arrive in South Africa on 5 May on the final leg of its global tour.

During its journey through the country, the solid-gold Trophy will stop at 33 cities and towns across South Africa. The trophy will then arrive back in Johannesburg days before the opening match of the 2010 FIFA World Cup at Soccer City stadium on 11 June.

"Millions of South Africans will get an opportunity to see the FIFA World Cup Trophy up close, and some who would have won competition tickets will have a special moment of taking a picture with the Trophy, and participate in celebrations as it moves across all nine provinces," says Onwell Msomi, General Manager of the 2010 FIFA World Cup Project Team, Coca-Cola South Africa.

"This is a unique, once-in-a-lifetime experience as not all South Africans will be able to get tickets to watch FIFA World Cupâ„¢ matches but everyone will have an opportunity to participate in the FIFA World Cup Trophy Tour," explains Msomi.

"It is an event that will unite the nation and generate extra enthusiasm among all South Africans in the last 30 days before the 2010 FIFA World Cupâ„¢ kicks off."

On its 130 000 km journey across the world, it travelled in a chartered branded plane commissioned by The Coca-Cola Company. In South Africa it will move from town to town in a special helicopter.

The FIFA World Cup Trophy Tour will start in the Western Cape on May 07, and the Trophy will then travel to the Eastern Cape, KwaZulu-Natal, the Free State, Northern Cape, North West, Mpumalanga and Limpopo before returning to Gauteng early in June. At each of the venues it will be prominently displayed for public viewing and about 800 people per event will be able to have their pictures taken with the Trophy.

The programme at the venues will consist of a wide range of activities appealing to all ages, including performances by artists and entertainers. {#}

posted @ 11:27 AM, ,

Winning FIFA World Cup

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Well, I did it. Sitting at my desk in downtown San Francisco, I just won the World Cup with the United States. I know, it sounds unlikely considering I live in California and all, but given the celebratory sequence I was just treated to in 2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa, I really can't imagine winning the real thing feels much better.

It should be of no surprise that I played as the underdog United States squad. No one really expects them to do well, even despite their amazingly favorable group that consists of England, Slovenia and Algeria. With two teams from every group emerging into the main World Cup draw, many expect the United States to make it to the big show for the first time in quite awhile, and that's exactly what I set out to do today.

The first thing that will strike you when you hop into a real World Cup game in 2010 FIFA World Cup is that the presentation is fitting of the scale of the event. There are streamers and fireworks shooting through the air, fans are blowing whistles and dawning face paint and hats, and Andy Gray and Clive Tyldelsly provide great quips to push the introductions along. It also doesn't hurt that they now have every nation's actual national anthem in the game. It's a small detail, but it's cool to see, especially when you make it to the finals and see some emotion streaming across the players' faces.



Click above to watch two goals straight from the final.The group stage of the World Cup went relatively smoothly for the Americans, despite my chosen difficulty of professional. The opening match against England proved to be one of the easier competitions of the opening round robin. The US took it 2-0, but wound up coming out of groups behind England thanks to two ties against Slovenia (2-2) and Algeria (0-0). The artificial intelligence on professional proved to be a real challenge. They move with laser-like accuracy on the field and sometimes seem as though they're possessed and destined to score a goal. Talk about unstoppable. Thankfully my record of 1-2-0 was good enough to advance.

The Round of 16 match against Germany proved to be a real test. The game was knotted at zero-zero for all but the last three minutes. I wasn't without my chances, though. Several headers and outside shots clanged off the posts, which would then bring a shot of disappointed German fans or a pissed off Bob Bradley (the American coach). It was in the 87th minute that Jozy Altidore broke away from his defender and nailed one into the upper-90. Argentina followed in the next round and played exactly as I expected. USA went up 2-0 on a pair of goals from Brian Ching. Messi was able to put one in for Argentina before the end, but it wasn't enough to stop the USA from advancing on to play Italy in one of the most exciting semifinals I've ever seen. Real or virtual.

The core gameplay that I had experienced through the quarterfinals was vintage FIFA 10 for the most part. The subtle refinements are evident when you feel the players moving around the field, but most of what you'll play is the same. Luckily that's nowhere close to a bad thing. Players feel like they have genuine size and momentum, just as they have before. While they sell themselves wonderfully as real physical beings, it's their mental veracity that still needed work in my preview build. There were always one or two instances per game when a player wouldn't try for a ball that was painfully close to them. Sometimes it resulted in a missed scoring chance. Hopefully they've been tightening that aspect since I received this build last week.

Italy is always a contender for the best soccer team in the world, and according to 2010 FIFA World Cup, this year is no different. We met in the semis and proceeded to duel our way to a 2-1 American advantage with 89 minutes left. As luck would have it, the skilled Italians were able to slice their way through my defense, ending their run with an effortlessly lobbed thru ball that floated its way over the heads of my sprinting defenders and landed at the feet of Gilardino. The play turned into a one-touch goal before I knew what hit me. Regulation ended tied at 2-2. Extra time proved to bring as much scoring as the regular game, but in much less time. With the score at 4-3, I figured my victory was assured. Imagine my surprise when Gilardino once again placed one just out of my goalie's reach in the 120th minute. Next up was a penalty shootout, which brought a new gameplay element to the mix.

Click above to watch the awesome celebration.The shootout mechanic is much easier than the old penalty kick, but it manages to simplify itself without becoming to arcadey. There's a concentration meter with a roving arrow that must be centered for strong accuracy, then it's up to you to feather the left analog stick in order to aim your shot. Push it too far in any direction and your shot is sure to go astray. You can also tap the shot button again to stutter step or press and hold the left bumper while shooting to lob it over the keeper. As the keeper, diving is on the right stick and standard movement is on the left. I was able to slap away their last shot and finish things off with Clint Dempsey to claim the semifinal. The announcers did a good job of conveying the weight of the victory and the celebration on the field was fitting.

The storybook final was set: USA and England in a rematch of the first game of the World Cup. The United States came out clearly invigorated by their previous victory and absolutely trounced the Brits 4-1. Maybe I had simply gotten the hang of how to beat the English team, but it was a great feeling to kick the crap out of them in the final of the world's biggest soccer tournament (and you can see every goal of the final right here. The celebration that followed was one of the greatest I've seen in a sports videogame. The folks who make Madden could really learn from a display like this. It blew the joyous events after the semifinals right out of the water. The announcers deliver wonderful USA-specific commentary that really made me feel like I had accomplished something and seeing Michael Bradley (the coach's son) be the first to hug Bob Bradley, whether it was intentional of the developers or not, was great. If the USA does win the World Cup, I'm sure it'll make this look like small potatoes, but for virtual renditions it doesn't get much better than this.

We'll have more coverage on 2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa, including an exclusive video that details the Story of Qualifying mode this Friday, all leading up to the review on April 27th.{#}

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posted @ 9:41 AM, ,

FIFA Dress Code is Baised

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Iran's girls football team has been kicked out of the Youth Olympic Games because FIFA rules prevent players wearing an Islamic head scarf.

Thailand was nominated on Monday to replace the barred Iranians, the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) said in a story on its Web site.

"FIFA decreed that the wearing of Islamic hijab was not in accordance with the laws of the game," the report said.

Iran's national Olympic committee had called on FIFA, football's world governing body, and the International Olympic Committee to review the head scarf ban. The hijab is worn by girls and women to observe Islamic dress code.

FIFA secretary general Jerome Valcke rejected the Iranian Olympic panel's request in a letter to the national football federation.

"Taking into consideration the clear position stated by the (Olympic committee) of Iran, the FIFA Executive Committee had no choice but to take the decision that (Iran) will not be able to participate," Valcke said, according to the AFC.

FIFA maintains football's international rule book which contains a section on players' on-field equipment.

Law 4 states that "basic compulsory equipment must not have any political, religious or personal statements.

"The team of a player whose basic compulsory equipment has political, religious or personal slogans or statements will be sanctioned by the competition organizer or by FIFA."

The hijab issue was first examined in 2007 after an 11-year-old girl in Canada was prevented from wearing one for safety reasons.

FIFA's rules-making arm, the International Football Association Board, declined to make an exception for religious clothing.

Iran was scheduled to compete in a six-nation tournament for girls at the inaugural Youth Olympics being held Aug. 12-25 in Singapore.

Thailand will now represent Asia against Turkey, Equatorial Guinea, Trinidad and Tobago, Chile and Papua New Guinea.

Around 3,600 athletes aged 14-18 will compete in 26 sports.

Copyright 2010 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. {#}

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posted @ 9:32 AM, ,

Women’s Football Team Banned to Wear Hijab

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The Iranian Olympic Committee has called on Muslim states around the world to protest to FIFA and the International Olympic Committee (IOC) after the country’s women’s football team were banned were from wearing the hijab at this year’s inaugural Summer Youth Olympic Games to be held Singapore, said a report on a website Sunday.

Bahram Afsharzadeh, the secretary general of Iran’s Olympic Committee, claimed the decision is a violation of Muslims rights. The team, who qualified to compete in the Games, which are due to be held between August 14 and 26, wearing head scarves, have been informed by FIFA that they will not be
allowed to compete unless they remove the hijab.

Ali Kafashian, the president of the Iran Football Association, has written to FIFA to ask them to reconsider their decision, claiming that due to religious beliefs the team will be able to participate in the competitions only if they are allowed to observe the Islamic dress code. FIFA had passed a ruling in March 2007 that the hijab is forbidden in matches. It came after a Canadian Muslim was expelled from a match for donning a hijab.

The decision, taken by the International Football Association Board (IFAB), the body which decides the laws of the game and is made up of the four FA’s from the United Kingdom and FIFA, cited law 4 which lists the basic equipment that players are allowed to wear and does not include headwear except for the goalkeeper. Brian Barwick, the then chief executive of the Football Association and a member of the IFAB that took the decision, claimed at the time “it’s absolutely right to be sensitive to people’s thoughts and philosophies, but equally there has to be a set of laws that are adhered to, and we favour law 4 being adhered to.”

Afsharzadeh said the decision taken by the FIFA proves that it does “not” care about such issues as nationality, religion and race. “It is also an indication of creating obstacles on their part in the way of the women’s progress,” he added. “Iran’s National Olympic Committee has forwarded copies of a protest letter to the IOC and a number of other leading officials around to consider the issue,” Afsharzadeh said. Several athletes competed at the Olympics in Beijing in 2008 wearing a hijab, including Bahrain sprinter Ruqaya Al-Ghasara, the 2006 Asian Games 100 metres champion and carried her country’s flag in the Opening Ceremony. {#}

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posted @ 11:04 AM, ,

FIFA World Cup South Africa

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Luckily, we've already seen subtle improvements that are sure to make their way over to FIFA 11. While the gameplay is virtually identical thus far, a huge emphasis has been put on recreating the atmosphere and drama of the biggest competition in the world for football fans. This is summed up with the inclusion of the new penalty system; a dual stick battle to outwit the goalkeeper, or indeed, break the striker's heart with their failed attempt. Timing is key here, as the speed and direction of your shot counts for nothing if you can't keep composed. Already in our time with the game, going to a penalty shoot-out after a hard-fought draw has been full of drama as goalkeepers have been pulling off incredible saves and world class players scream the ball against the crossbar as the pressure crushes their efficiency. It's dramatic, it's adrenaline-pumping, and it replicates the real situation with greater importance than before.

Another area that has been noticeably improved in FIFA World Cup 2010 is the atmosphere itself. As the World Cup is the grandest stage of them all, there's a huge difference in the all-singing, all-partying atmosphere that makes it such a special event. FIFA games have so far failed to recreate this, but this title is definitely trying to pull out all the stops. Fireworks rip through the impressive structure of the stadiums, a sea of confetti erupts across the field, and the commentators ramp up excitement by discussing just how important every fixture is. We're also treated to close-ups of the crowd, and their reactions to goals or the team entering the field. It's these minor tweaks that make FIFA World Cup 2010 different to the main release, as there's a sense of occasion about the title that FIFA 10 fails to maintain. The fact we can see the managers of each team toying with their next decision on the side of the pitch is an added bonus, and is something we hope they finally utilize outside of the international-only games.

For an early showing, there's a lot of positives in FIFA World Cup 2010. The ugly, over-shiny players of yesteryear have also been dealt a fatal blow, as player models are looking in better shape than ever. There's noticeable improvement and a hint of evolution here, as EA will surely see what does and does not work ready in time for FIFA 11 to hit stores. With this World Cup release only round the corner, its time to get over-excited, paint your national flag onto your face, and then slump deep into your seats when your team is knocked out by the mighty power of Djibouti.{#}

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posted @ 8:52 AM, ,


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