SAfrica to go to FIFA after China cancels friendly in Germany
Tuesday, April 27, 2010
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.
posted @ 11:24 AM,
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Hotel Reserved for German Squad
Saturday, April 24, 2010
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." {#}
posted @ 10:58 AM,
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German Aren't Strong Enough to Triumph
Tuesday, December 15, 2009
Germany captain Michael Ballack has claimed that the three-time World Cup winners should not be considered amongst the favourites for the 2010 finals.
Germany, under head coach Joachim Low, finished ahead of Russia in their qualifying group to reach the finals in South Africa and their impressive record in the competition dictates that they are considered challengers for the biggest prize in football.
As West Germany they won the competition in 1954, 1974 and 1990, while as a unified country they have reached at least the quarter-finals in the past four tournaments, losing in the 2002 final to a Ronaldo-inspired Brazil.
But Ballack, who will lead Germany when their campaign kicks off against Australia on June 13, is unconvinced that his team-mates have the necessary quality to trouble the favourites, Brazil and Spain.
"We do not have the consistency or strength in depth in the squad," Ballack told Kicker magazine. "We have been too weak, particularly in friendlies, to be able to say that we have the class to beat everybody else."
Labels: Germany
posted @ 8:56 AM,
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