RSA
are you getting your vuvu 'noisy bee' irritating flies' ready?

France arrives in SA

1998 World Champions France have arrived in South Africa for the World cup.

With just five days to kick-off, the team touched down at George Airport in the Southern Cape just before 6am on Saturday.

The French team was then transported to their base camp about 60 kilometres away to the town of Knysna.



The French will be based at Pezula Lodge which will be their home during the World Cup.



Knysna residents are expected to form a human chain down the town’s main road to welcome the former world champions.

is mikel really out??

zebra543:

is mikel really out??

Yes, he is OUT for sure

Mexico arrive in SA for World Cup | South Africa 2010 Fifa World Cup

Pretoria - Mexico landed at the OR Tambo International Airport on Friday ahead of their opening World Cup match against Bafana Bafana at Soccer City on June 11.

Mexico touched down on Friday morning from Frankfurt with security officers on hand to ensure their safety.

Mexico is in group A along with Uruguay and the French national squad that won the World Cup trophy twelve years ago, when they hosted the tournament.

Mexico wrapped-up their FIFA World Cup preparations with a stunning 3-1 win over Gambia in Bayreuth, Germany on May 30.

The El Tri on Saturday will also get an opportunity to see how Bafana’s goal scoring has improved over the months when they take on Denmark at Atteridgeville stadium at 2:15pm.

According to FIFA.com only seven teams have won the World Cup, six of them at least once while hosting the tournament.

France (1998), Argentina (1978) and England (1966) were the last three first-time winners of football's biggest prize, and each of those triumphs came on home turf.

The only teams to break their duck on foreign soil were West Germany in neighbouring Switzerland in 1954, and Brazil in Sweden four years later.

Brazil now have five stars on their famous canary-yellow shirts, Italy four and Germany three, while Argentina joined inaugural champions Uruguay on two in 1986. – BuaNews

1,2:

According to FIFA.com only seven teams have won the World Cup, six of them at least once while hosting the tournament.

France (1998), Argentina (1978) and England (1966) were the last three first-time winners of football's biggest prize, and each of those triumphs came on home turf

are you trying to say you guys are planning on winning the WC?
its not a bad dream really . .not a bad dream . .at all

World Cup 2010: North Korea Arrive In South Africa For Finals

The 2010 World Cup Organising Committee(OC) was present to welcome North Korea when the squad arrived in the country this morning for the tournament finals.

“I would like to welcome Korea DPR to South Africa for the 2010 FIFA World Cup and we wish them well for their second World Cup appearance. Their first one in 1966 certainly proved to be an exciting one when they managed to beat Italy 1-0, getting to the last eight of the tournament,” said OC chief executive officer, Dr Danny Jordaan, in a statement.

“It is great for the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea to come to the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa and we have a great desire for success in the tournament,” said North Korea coach Kim Jong Hun to reporters.

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mukina2:

are you trying to say you guys are planning on winning the WC?
its not a bad dream really . .not a bad dream . .at all

You must aim high my man. You go to world cup for a win.

An other good memory, which no one will ever forget, no matter if Nigerian or not.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Omu3pUK3R1I&feature=player_embedded


Coca Cola magic moments, place 8: Rashidi Yekini achieves the first goal for Nigeria.
Goal.com and Coca Cola present the countdown of 50 nicest world championship-cheering scenes of all times.

Nigeria took part in 1994 for the first time in the final of a world championship and immediately with good success: In the first play Bulgaria was clearly hit and Rashidi Yekini became the famed hero.

BBC at it once again, the bloody agents are dissapointing us once more. They are reporting that there was a stampede at the stadium. When you prevent people entering the stadium, Do you call that a stampede. This guys are not here to report on the World Cup. They are here to report negetive things. They have been trying to take this World Cup out of Africa and they have failed. I wish their team never reach second round and they must just leave this country. They once sujested that the World Cup be taken to Australia. Who do they think they are? They must just leave this continent with their white tendency. Bloody agents.

Six more teams arrive in SA

Johannesburg - Six more soccer teams have arrived in South Africa on Sunday for the 2010 FIFA World Cup, the National Organising Committee (OC) said.

Chief executive officer, Dr Danny Jordaan welcomed Greece, Japan, Netherlands, Portugal, Chile and New Zealand in the country.

"With the football stars now arriving in the country, we are really starting to feel the excitement. The World Cup has well and truly landed," he said in a statement,

Greece will play its opening game against Korea Republic in Nelson Mandela Bay on June 12 while Portugal is expected to play against Cote d'Ivoire on June 15 at the same venue.

Japan will play on June 14 against the Indomitable Lions of Cameroon in Mangaung and Netherlands will play against Denmark in Johannesburg on the same day.

New Zealand will open its tournament against Slovakia in Rustenburg on June 15 while Chile challenges Honduras on June 16 in Nelspruit.

World Cup 2010: Japan arrive in South Africa claiming they have nothing to lose
Underdogs Japan landed in their World Cup base camp with optimism despite four straight international defeats in the run-up to the big tournament.

By Telegraph staff and agencies
Published: 2:53PM BST 06 Jun 2010

Confident: Japan arrive in South Africa feeling they can spring a surprise at the World Cup Photo: Reuters
A boy scout's brass band battled with ear-splitting vuvuzela-blowing supporters and the city's choir for attention as Japan arrived on a chartered air journey from their Swiss Alpine training camp of Saas-Fee ahead of the World Cup.

The popular Western Cape resort has been picked by Japan for several reasons, including a good-luck factor. Japanese star Ai Miyazato won the inaugual women's golf World Cup there in 2005 in partnership with Rui Kitada.


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Guide to the Fifa Club World Cup"My favourite is of course Bafana, Bafana. But after them, I will definitely cheer for Japan," George executive mayor Mercia Draghoender told AFP. "Definitely, a financial and economical boost will be there," she said of the Samurai's presence in her city on South Africa's scenic "Garden Route" coastline.

The team did not talk to reporters at the airport before they were taken to their base, the luxurious Fancourt Hotel and Golf Estate, where the Japanese golf duo triumphed.

But Japan and CSKA Moscow rising star Keisuke Honda declared before the squad left Saas-Fee that the former Asian champions were raring to bounce back from the series of friendly losses.

"You may think we're going to lose three straight (group) matches, don't you?," he asked Japanese media.

"If we play bearing in mind we have nothing to lose, it would do us good," added Honda, who turns 24 on the eve of Japan's Group E opener against Cameroon on June 14 in Bloemfontein, followed by clashes with Holland and Denmark.

Japan lost 2-0 in a warm-up against Ivory Coast in Sion on Friday. They had earlier lost 3-0 to a third-string Serbia and South Korea 2-0, both at home, and 2-1 to England a week ago in Graz, Austria.

"We could have matched ourselves against weaker opponents but we needed to play strong teams," Japan coach Takeshi Okada said in Saas-Fee about the last two games.

The Blue Samurai bared their perennial lack of firepower while keeping up a solid defence despite conceding three own goals, two of them through Brazilian-born centre back Marcus Tulio Tanaka, against the powerhouses.

"The players may have some fear but after being pushed into a tight corner, they'd rather fire up," said 53-year-old Okada.

The friendly results further discredited Okada's highly ambitious but widely ridiculed goal of reaching the semi-finals in South Africa in what will be Japan's fourth straight World Cup appearance.

Okada guided Japan to a winless World Cup debut at France 1998 in his first job as national coach. French disciplinarian Philippe Troussier coached them to a last-16 spot in the 2002 edition co-hosted by Japan and South Korea.

But they made an early exit in Germany four years ago under Brazilian legend Zico when they were crushed by Brazil and Australia and drew with Croatia.

So a pressing task for Okada's Japan, known for their well organised midfield, is to score a World Cup win for the first time abroad.

"Even if we defend tightly, it won't give us a thrust," Okada said. "What we should do is unchanged but it has become clearer still. It is important to pass the ball around but we also need players to charge forward."

Honda, who has emerged from former Celtic star Shunsuke Nakamura's shadow as he helped CSKA reach the UEFA Champions League quarter-finals with goal scoring after his move from Venlo in January, said he was ready to do his job.

"If we attack the opponents where it hurts them most, it will lead to scoring chances. We want to give all we have as this event takes place just once in four years," the creative midfielder said ahead of his World Cup debut

Can we say more. Disgrace

This is what World cup in africa does not need. Giving the critics some thing to smile about

OK, back to the real thing. The Portugues are here with a BANG. South Africa has the biggest Portugues Population in the outside of Portugues.

South African Portugues are out in full force

Yaa, now i understand that SA is like the United States of Africa, you can see for yourself, these are South African Portugues

Germany arrive for World Cup
Jun 7, 2010 9:47 AM | By Klaus Bergmann, Sapa-dpa

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Three-time champions Germany became the latest team to arrive at the World Cup and were set to hold an open training session later today

Joachim Loew’s team arrived early on Monday morning in Johannesburg on the first official flight of national carrier Lufthansa’s Airbus A380 super jumbo.

“It was a great experience to be on the first A380 flight,” said Loew.

The team then left for its base camp close to the nation’s capital of Pretoria. A first training session was set for the afternoon and it will be open to the public, with some 20,000 fans expected.

"We want to show the South Africans from the outset that we are happy to be here,” said national team general manager Oliver Bierhoff.

Germany play their first match on Sunday against Australia, with Serbia and Ghana their other opponents in group D.

Also aboard the flight from Frankfurt to Johannesburg was pop star Shakira, who sings the official World Cup song “This time for Africa.” Shakira will perform among others at the tournament-opening gig on Thursday.

The opening matches are played Friday.

Shakira delays Germany flight to SA
Jun 6, 2010 9:21 PM | By Sapa-dpa

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The departure of Germany's national team to the World Cup in South Africa was delayed Sunday night when their plane had to wait for a prominent passenger - pop star Shakira.
The Colombian singer's connecting flight out of Madrid to Frankfurt was delayed and organisers were reluctant to leave without the performer for this year's World Cup anthem, Waka Waka (This Time for Africa), reported airport operator Fraport

French minister slammed for hotel criticism
Jun 7, 2010 10:40 AM | By Sapa-AFP

All of France must cheer on its World Cup football team, the government spokesman said, in remarks aimed at the sports minister for criticising the team's choice of a posh hotel.


Junior sports minister Rama Yade caused a stir at the weekend when she said the Bleus team should have shown some "decency" during hard economic times by not choosing a five-star resort to stay in while in South Africa.

Government spokesman Luc Chatel said it was unfortunate that such a controversy had erupted just a few days before the start of the World Cup.

"What is important, is that all of the French, including members of the government, be behind their team," said Chatel on France Inter radio.

Yade said in a radio interview that the Spanish team had chosen to stay on a university campus and suggested that such an expense will be hard to justify if the French squad loses.

"If France goes a long way, the choice of a site offering the best training conditions will appear judicious. But if results do not come up to expectations then those in charge will have some explaining to do," Yade commented.

"I hope that the French team wow us by their results rather than the swankiness of their hotels. I have called on them to show some decency in times of crisis," Yade concluded.

The French, champions in 1998 but who struggled to qualify for this summer's event in South Africa, will stay at the five-star Pezula Resort at Knysna on the shores of the Indian Ocean.

Photographs of the resort with its large marble bathrooms, plush rooms and modern sports equipment have been splashed on the pages of French newspapers.

Health and Sports Minister Roselyne Bachelot waded in on Sunday and said French taxpayers were not paying one cent of the hotel bill.

"Our team is what it is and we will support it will all of our might," said Bachelot. "They need to be left in peace, and have a strong public opinion behind them."

Communist leader Marie-George Buffet criticised Yade, saying she shouldn't be surprised that the team is staying in a five-star resort given that the sports world was awash in money.

"Frankly, I think this is a tempest in a tea pot," said the communist.

World Cup 2010: Nigerians defend choice of stadium
Nigerian officials insist they had no alternative but to go ahead with Sunday's warm-up, where 16 people were injured outside the ground.

Nigerian officials insist they had no alternative but to go ahead with Sunday's warm-up, where 16 people were injured outside the ground.

Two policemen were among those hurt during a crush outside the Makhulong Stadium in Johannesburg, as the Nigerians faced North Korea.

Entry to the game was free, but many more than the 10,000 capacity turned up, prompting a crowd surge.

But Nigerian officials say they could not have organised another venue.

Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) board member Taiwo Ogunjobi told BBC Sport that it was impossible to find a bigger ground to host a game of such magnitude.


We had everything in place to have a successful match but unforeseen circumstances beyond our control took centre-stage

NFF board member Taiwo Ogunjobi
"We strived really hard to find a bigger stadium but unfortunately Fifa had taken control of all the stadiums from the South Africans," Ogunjobi said.

"Sadly this incident occurred but it was surely out of our hands because we and North Korea wanted to have this game.

"We had everything in place to have a successful match but unforeseen circumstances beyond our control took centre stage.

"Our sincere sympathies go out to the injured, but we are glad no lives were lost."

Several fans fell under a rush of people outside the ground in the Johannesburg suburb of Tembisa.

Football's world governing body Fifa has said it was not involved in any "operational" aspect of the fixture.

A Fifa statement added that "contrary to some media reports, Fifa had nothing to do with the ticketing of this game".

One fan, Japhta Mombelo, described the moment he was caught up in the chaos.

"The crowd overpowered me and I went down," he said. "I fell down and people just fell over me."

The first crowd surge came when the stadium gates were opened to allow fans entry.

Police soon closed the gates, but when they were re-opened, a second rush occurred, with more people falling over.

"When we were coming in, they were just stepping on us," another fan, Princess Mbali, who was wearing a South Africa shirt, said.

"I thought I was dying. I was at the bottom."

The incidents have provided the wrong sort of build-up to the World Cup that the South African authorities would have wanted

BBC Sport's Piers Edwards
One policeman was seriously hurt after reportedly being crushed against a gate. He remains in a stable condition, according to the South African Police Services.

The crowd was mainly made up of local South African and travelling Nigerian fans.

Police said that hundreds of people were also holding photocopies of tickets and tried to break down the gates after the match had started and police had closed them.

In a separate incident the game was then stopped for five minutes in the second half when a railing collapsed inside the stadium.

Match commissioner Steve Goddard explained that he took the step to avert a possible stampede inside the ground.

"After consulting with match officials and the Nigerian contingent we agreed to stop the match, with the collapsed rail," Goddard said.

"It was only a matter of controlling the fans and we are glad disaster was averted."

The incidents have provided the wrong sort of build-up to the World Cup that the South African authorities would have wanted, the BBC's Piers Edwards, outside the stadium, says.

The venue is not a World Cup venue, but the incident is likely to heighten security even further ahead of the World Cup opener between South Africa and Mexico at Soccer City on Friday, our correspondent says.

The game itself finished 3-1 to Nigeria, with Yakubu Aiyegbeni, Victor Obinna Nsofor and Obafemi Martins scoring for the Super Eagles, while Jong Hyok Cha was on target for North Korea.

Brazilian tortured, held hostage in SA


MELODY BRANDON

JOHANNESBURG - While the Brazilian soccer team received a warm welcome to South Africa, a businessman from Brazil is happy to be alive after he was held captive and tortured by Nigerian citizens in a house in Kensington, east of Johannesburg.

Spokesman for the Hawks, Musa Zondi said that the businessman who heads an international timber company, was the second victim to fall into the gang’s clutches.

The first, a South Korean businessman and president of an international shipping company was released on May 19 after his company paid a $70 000 ransom fee to his captors under the guise of a business deal.

According to police, the Hawks swooped on the residence after getting crucial information from the South Korean businessman.

The Hawks put the house under surveillance and finally swooped in during the early hours of yesterday morning.

Police officials, in the country with the Brazilian soccer team, interviewed the man before he was taken to hospital.

“He was badly burnt on his stomach, chest and feet by his captors, who used a hot iron to inflict the pain. He believed his days were numbered and his captors threatened to kill him,” said Zondi.

Zondi said that the plan to lure the men to the country was not a traditional 419 scam, but had been carefully planned and the businessmen specifically targeted.

“These men thought they were coming here to conclude legitimate business deals. The man from South Korea thought that he would be meeting with another businessman to ship concrete to Iraq,” he said.

The names of the two men could not be released as police fear they may come to harm.

The Nigerian suspects will appear in the Johannesburg Magistrate’s Court on Monday.

When asked if the Hawks were concerned about similar crimes being committed during the World Cup, Zondi said “he would not go anywhere near the topic of the World Cup”.

“We cannot prevent this type of crime from happening, but we can make an example of these criminals,” he said.

National Police Commissioner Bheki Cele warned that South Africa “is not a paradise for criminals”.

“Those who think they can use this country as a base for their misdeeds are mistaken.

“Everyday we are squeezing the space for criminals and we will continue to do so,” he said.

Other businessmen swindled by “business” scams:

In 2008, Osami Hitomi was lured to South Africa under the false impression he would be engaged in an investment company called Jeffdon Properties, he was robbed and held hostage in a house in Alberton. Hitomi’s captors demanded a $5 million ransom. Seven people were arrested, six were Nigerian and one South African.

The same group was also linked to the kidnapping of Kenth Sadaaki Suzuki, a Swedish national, who was taken to a house in Rosettenville. His hands and legs were bound and the kidnappers demanded a 200 000 euro ransom from Suzuki’s family for his release.

It is believed the syndicate was also involved in the kidnapping of American nationals, coming to the country for business meetings with the syndicate.

The modus operandi is to establish a front company to lure the men to the country. Once in South Africa, they are kidnapped, tortured and held for ransom.

The police warn that foreign visitors coming to South Africa should thoroughly screen potential business partners and contact the police to do so.

Disgraceful.

What can we say. Lets just concentrate on the world cup and leave the polotics out of this. I am feeling it now. As we say in the SOUTH, FEEL IT, IT IS HERE

Damn!

You can't believe what people would do because of the World Cup.

Go Super Eagles! Super Eagles Go!

Gautrain arrives in time for World Cup

Africa's first high-speed train has started running - just in time for fans travelling to South Africa for the World Cup, which starts on Friday.

Costing a massive 24bn rand ($3bn; £2.1bn), South Africa hopes that its revolutionary rapid transit system will bring some much needed change to its outdated and sometimes unreliable transport system.

Its top speed is 160 km/h (100 mph) - a long way from the world's fastest trains but still far superior to the locomotives chugging along most of the rest of the continent's tracks, which mostly date from the colonial era.

Although the Gautrain was not intended to be a World Cup project, the local authorities and constructors Mbombela were anxious to get the main route ready in time for the football extravaganza.

Large crowds turned up to ride on the train's inaugural trip. Narcizo Makwakwa took the train from Sandton to the airport "just for a joy ride".

"After this, I am going to work but I had to see it. I couldn't wait for the past seven years for this, it is beautiful," he told the BBC.

Gaillard Rossouw said the train was the only way he could make it from Johannesburg to the airport for his early morning flight back home to Durban.

"It took me 15 minutes to get here, this is awesome."

A rocky road

Just one section of of the line has been finished - between the OR Tambo international airport and central Johannesburg.

The next section of the line will link Johannesburg to the national capital, Pretoria, 50km (31 miles) away in 40 minutes.

The authorities were keen for it to be ready for the World Cup Currently, driving between the two cites in Gauteng province can take up to two hours in peak-hour traffic.

Construction on the Gautrain began in September 2006 and will be finalised in June 2011 when an additional 10 stations, covering approximately 80km (50 miles) are completed.

Close to 100,000 direct and indirect jobs have been created by the construction of the Gautrain, with more than 25% of those going to locals.

Still this high speed system has seen its fair share of controversy.

Critics have argued that it would only benefit the elite.

They said the billions spent on the ambitious project should be used to improve the existing transport system, which includes the old Metrorail network, responsible for transporting two million people daily, instead of beginning a new one.

The Metrorail trains are mainly used as a link between townships including Soweto and Johannesburg

Ageria is here

They are here

Yes, they are here

They are feeling it

Good job,1,2 1,2 as usual.

Have you realised how quite the brits and the germans are now that they are in the country? I mean they know now that they've been reporting shiiit.
I heard one stupid journalist on France tele saying we are hiding our poor people just like what the chinese goverment did during beijing olimpics,but was put down quickly by an expect on african affair from cameroon,this people are not only haters but liers also.

In South Africa we have very poor people(mostly black) and rich people(mostly white) and there is a world known history that could explain why ,so we are not ashamed.But when you come to south you will realise that things are changing quickly for the better