No Plan B for 2010 World Cup

Put those thoughts of the 2010 World Cup in the USA, England or Germany out of your mind …

“Plan B is dead,” Danny Jordaan, head of the World Cup local organizing committee told reporters in Johannesburg in a year-end review of preparations for the tournament.

Jordaan was referring to speculation earlier this year that FIFA, soccer’s world governing body could yank the World Cup from South Africa if the country was deemed ill-prepared to become the first African host of the tournament.

FIFA president Joseph Blatter’s admission in June that FIFA had a ‘Plan B’ when it came to the host nation made for sensational headlines.

By now, the skeptics, mostly Europeans, have been proved wrong, according to Jordaan.

All 10 World Cup stadiums - five new, five upgraded - will be ready on time, he said.

Having said this, the cost will be higher than forecast due in part to a weaker rand.

“All of the stadiums will be complete and there is no doubt about that,” Jordaan told a news conference.

“Some of the (construction) materials will be procured outside the country. As the rand weakens, there will be some cost overruns,” he said, noting that the price of oil added another layer of unpredictability to the process.

Rising prices for imported cement, steel and other key building materials and higher labor costs have wreaked havoc on the stadium construction budget, leading to a 3.2 billion rand ($314 million) shortfall.

Local organizers are concerned about keeping the budget from spinning out of control and finding the funds to meet the shortfall, which the South African government has already pledged 1.4 billion rand towards.

In the past year the currency has lost about 30 percent of its value against the U.S. dollar and 24 percent versus the euro. The eurozone is South Africa’s main trading partner.

South Africa expects 480,000 visitors for the World Cup, which starts on June 11, 2010, and hopes the month-long finals will spur tourism and investment in Africa’s richest economy.

MY POV: Good for South Africa. About time they showered good news on the non-believers around the world.

Written by Darkvader on December 11th, 2008 with no comments.
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Al Ahly in Club World Cup Adventure

Egypt’s Al Ahly are now in Asia, ready to face the world’s best clubs in the FIFA Club World Cup, the FIFA-sanctioned club world championship played every year in Japan.

Although England’s Manchester United are favored, the reigning African champions have a ton of confidence.

*They recently won their record sixth African championship, beating Cameroon’s Coton Sport 4-2 on aggregate.
*They’re reigning Egyptian champions, winning the title the past 4 years and 33 times overall. *They’re 35-time champions of the Egyptian Cup.
*And in 2000, they were named the African Club of the Century by the Confederation of African Football.

They’re doing quite all right, I’d say.

This week, Ahly hopes to show the world what they’re made of. Ahly have qualified for the Club World Cup three times and this time, they hope to advance and win the championship.

At a press conference in Egypt before their departure, the team brimmed with confidence.

Ahly club chairman Hassan Hamdi said, “These are the glory years of Al Ahly, whose name is now carved within the world’s best teams. The staff have done a brilliant job. We are now eager for more. The club officials and fans are confident the team can show more progress this time.”

Portuguese coach Manuel Jose says the team is highly ambitious.

“This year there is huge responsibility because everyone expects us to go further than the third place we achieved in 2006, which was also an improvement from the previous year in 2005, when we lost our two games and came last. We dream of winning the cup, and we are working on making the dream a reality.”

“The players shouldn’t be under pressure. They should just concentrate on the ball and on achieving their goal. It is not going to be easy and we will have to fight. We will display our best because we want to show the world that Al Ahly is a world-class team, a team capable of competing against the world’s elite clubs and for the title as well.”

(Having said that, take a look at this quote from England’s The Daily Telegraph attributed to Jose: “For an African club to finish third in this competition resembles winning the title,” Portugal-born Ahly coach Manuel Jose said.

“We will do our best to represent Africa and Egypt well, but our supporters must be aware there is a big gap between football in South America and Europe and football in Africa. Winning the Club World Cup is an impossible task for now. We need more time to achieve that goal.”

Hmm … )

Ahly captain Shady Mohamed admitted the players are determined to make an impression. “This team have achieved many unprecedented achievements, like winning the African Champions League six times and qualifying for Japan three times,” he explained.

“So we need to prove to the world that we deserve to be among the elite, and that we are the best representatives for African football. We want to reach the final and hope we can return home with the title. We need to focus more on our first game. Winning our opener will give us more confidence to progress in the competition until we win it.”

The hopes of the Cairo giants rest at the mercurial feet of Mohamed Aboutrika, who thrilled audiences at the 2006 edition of the Cup. However, the 30-year-old insisted his side’s chances hinge of the players’ collective performances. “Football is a team sport, no one can play alone,” he said.

“I’m not the star of the team - the team is the star, that’s what Mr. Jose tells us. I don’t care about individual achievements because only team achievements remain in the memory of the fans, and I’m part of the team.”

Ahly’s path to the final looks kind of easy.

Should Ahly see off the challenge of Mexico’s Pachuca in the first round, they will play the beatable Ecuadorian side Liga Deportiva Universitaria (LDU) de Quito in the semifinals, just one step away from a likely meeting with Manchester United, Europe’s reigning champions.

The tournament runs from December 11th to December 21st. The Cup’s contested between the champion clubs from all six continental confederations, although, since 2007, the champions of Oceania must play a qualifying play-off against the champion club of the host country.

Ahly’s been in the tournament three times.

The first trip in 2005 proved a major disappointment as they lost 1-0 in the quarterfinals to Saudi Arabian side Al Ittihad, before succumbing 2-1 in the fifth-place play-off to Sydney FC. The following year they did much better, finishing the competition in third place.

They beat New Zealanders Auckland City 2-0 in the quarterfinals, before losing out 2-1 to the eventual winners, Brazilian club Internacional. They ensured the competition would be deemed a success, however, when they clinched third thanks to an excellent 2-1 win over Club América of Mexico.

Besides Ahly, this year’s Cup features Manchester United; Mexican club Pachuca, who have won the last two editions of the CONCACAF Champions League and Ecuadorian side Liga Deportiva Universitaria (LDU) de Quito, champions of South America.

Japan’s Gamba Osaka, winners of the 2008 AFC Champions League will represent the J-League, while the losing finalists, Australia’s Adelaide United, will also be there to represent Asia.

The line-up is completed by the OFC Champions League winners Waitakere United of New Zealand. Matches are played at three venues in Tokyo, Toyota City and Yokohama.

For a break-down of the match-ups, please click here.

What does ESPN’s Soccernet.com think of Ahly’s chances?

Al Ahly (Egypt; Africa/CAF)
Who are they? Africa’s most successful club, the Egyptian side dominated last year winning the league and African Champions League double. Portuguese coach Manuel Jose has now led the club to four of their six Champions League successes and the club boast a number of players who have starred for Egypt in their back-to-back African Nations Cup wins. They are also nicknamed ‘The Red Devils’ and came third at the tournament two years ago.
Captain? Shady Mohamed. The sudden departure of goalkeeper and former skipper Essam El Hadary to FC Sion shocked the club, but Mohamed has the experience and toughness to succeed in the position. A quick central defender with outstanding fitness, he will have to be at his best to get Al Ahly into the finals.
Player to watch? Mohamed Aboutrika. The outstanding performer of the 2008 African Nations Cup, Aboutrika runs the midfield with his creativity and skill on the ball. Providing a potent goalscoring threat from behind the strikers, if “The Smiling Assassin” is on top form then his club could go far.
Prediction? Semi-finals.

Good luck Ahly! We here at Road to 2010 are pulling for you!!!

Written by Darkvader on December 9th, 2008 with no comments.
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FIFA ‘Happy’ on Road to 2010

FIFA wants everyone to know that they’re happy with South Africa’s preparations ahead of the 2010 World Cup, no matter what anyone may think …

FIFA general secretary Jerome Valcke said that there are still issues to be resolved ahead of the first-ever African World Cup, but that the mood was still positive.

“I think we should forget this question now,” Valcke said, asked about the possibility of another country stepping in. “It’s been a lot of work since May 2004 and I think there is still a lot of work until June 14 2009 [when South Africa hosts the Confederations Cup] and the 2010 World Cup.

“I think it’s a lot of issues and we have to make sure we are working on them all the time. The main issues are security, transportation, accommodation, overlay; it’s all what you need to host a World Cup. It’s normal, because there is not a single country ready 18 months prior to the World Cup. When we had the Confederations Cup in Germany, it’s where we discovered that lots of things were not working. There is no question that it was the right decision to bring the World Cup to South Africa.”

The CEO of the World Cup Local Organizing Committee (LOC) Danny Jordaan thinks that although South Africa has experienced problems, they’re getting there.

“Firstly, we are focusing on the Confederations Cup,” he said. “These are existing stadiums, however there is still a gap between the existing stadiums and the event requirements. So we are focusing on that to make sure that by the end of December, all of the four stadiums for the Confederations Cup are fully compliant with all requirements for the event; and then [making] sure all of the stadiums are complete by October next year and also then to focus on the final draw on December 4 next year.”

Valcke hinted that the 2018 tournament could be given to a “rich” country, possibly from Europe. The 2014 World Cup will be held in Brazil, which probably means it isn’t a ‘rich’ country.

“I have a feeling that Germany tomorrow morning could host the World Cup. Because they have a very strong professional league, stadiums are ready, so there are a few European countries [who] will not have to spend as much money as South Africa is doing or as Brazil will have to do because there is not a single, what we call, World Cup stadium in Brazil.

“And they will have to provide us with these stadiums and work on them. Again, I have the feeling that there will be competition, I would say between five to eight countries, bidding for 2018.

“These will come from four confederations as Africa and South America will not have access to 2018. It will be potentially the so-called ‘rich’ countries, where there is already the infrastructure we need to host a World Cup.”

MY POV: The more I listen to these FIFA cronies talk, the more I wish they’d be quiet.

How condescending of them to talk about giving the 2018 World Cup to a ‘rich’ country?

How about just letting events play out and letting the citizens of South Africa enjoy the process of the 2010 World Cup?

More and more, it feels like FIFA has absolutely no confidence in South Africa. It seems like they’re wringing their hands clean of the 2010 Cup, rueing their decision to give the 2014 Cup to a poor country like Brazil and focusing on the ‘cash money’ bonanza of the 2018 Cup.

USA 2018 anyone? The more you hear FIFA bellow, the more it sounds like they’d hold every World Cup in the USA and England if they had the chance …

It’s all about the money, isn’t it? How stupid of me to believe it was about more than just the cash …

Written by Darkvader on November 25th, 2008 with no comments.
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Recession? What Recession? World Football’s Just Fine

We talked a few days ago about how South Africa’s preparations for the 2010 World Cup were unaffected by the current world economic meltdown.

Today, FIFA president Sepp Blatter said FIFA’s finances are in a ‘privileged to comfortable’ situation and world soccer’s governing body had not yet suffered any impact from the global finance crisis.

Good to know the recession can’t touch football, eh?

“We received a detailed analysis of the potential impact and can say that we are now in a situation that could be described as between privileged and comfortable,” Blatter told a news conference following a two-day executive committee meeting.

“For the time being we have not lost money and are well equipped to face up to the current crisis thanks to our financial policy which involves a diversification of assets and very low exposure to currency or foreign exchange volatilities.

“We also have 95 percent of our budget already under contract and have managed our costs. The diversification of our portfolios and our television contract partners gives us cautious optimism for the future.”

Blatter announced that FIFA had bought insurance cover providing protection for up to $650 million in the event that either of its next two World Cups in 2010 and 2014 had to be canceled, postponed or relocated.

“We also had insurance for the 1998, 2002 and 2006 World Cups so this is not any kind of judgment on the organization of the 2010 World Cup in South Africa,” FIFA general secretary Jerome Valcke told the news conference.

“We are on time to deliver both the (2009) Confederations Cup and the World Cup in South Africa and this insurance is only to deal with the threat of attacks or natural catastrophes.”

MY POV: Two things …

1.) Great to hear that football’s financially secure. But do you think people that are struggling to make ends meet really care at this moment?

2.) Once people’s priorities come together, do you think going to expensive football matches, etc. will be at the top of their list?

I’m happy FIFA’s diversified and kept their house in order. But should this economic situation continue into 2010, I think we could hear a different tune coming from Mr. Blatter’s mouth.

Football will suffer. Of that there’s no doubt.

Written by Darkvader on October 24th, 2008 with no comments.
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African World Cup Qualifying

As the final weekend of the second round of African World Cup qualifying draws near, only Cameroon, Benin and Nigeria have guaranteed their place in the third and final phase.

The 12 group winners and the eight best second-placed sides will stay in the hunt for a place at the 2010 World Cup in South Africa. So what’s at stake this weekend?

Everything! With the help of FIFA.com’s trusty African Cup qualifying guide, let’s take a look at the scenarios …

Take into account that countries that finish level on points will be separated by: goal difference (GD), goals scored (GS) and then head-to-head record. Also worth noting is that results against the bottom side in each group will not be taken into account when the best second-placed sides are being decided. Confused? I am too … anyways, here goes … The 12 groups of African Cup qualifying are as follows:

Group 1: Lying in second spot and four points behind already-qualified Cameroon, none of Cape Verde Islands’ other group rivals can match their nine-point tally. However, a win away to Tanzania this weekend would greatly increase their chances of qualifying as one of the eight best second-place sides.

Group 2: Though Kenya (10 points) and Guinea (8) are in pole position, Zimbabwe (6) are still in with a shout. Anything other than a reverse on Guinean soil would ensure Kenya qualify in first place, though defeat for Robert Nouzaret’s Guinea would leave them hoping already-eliminated Namibia can deny visitors Zimbabwe all three points.

Group 3: Benin are already safely through and Niger are out of the running. Jostling for second place are Angola (GD +1) and Uganda (-2), currently on seven points apiece, who welcome Niger and Benin respectively.

Group 4: Guaranteed a third-round berth, Nigeria are set to host second-placed Sierra Leone on Saturday. Currently on seven points, three ahead of South Africa, three points for Sierra Leone would send them through to the next round, providing Equatorial Guinea remain in last place. The 2010 hosts, meanwhile, would still fail to qualify even with a win against the struggling Nzalang Nacional.

Group 5: Only a defeat away to Gabon and a Ghana victory over Lesotho can deny Libya a first-place finish. Should that scenario come to pass, the trio would be level on 12 points, their final positions decided by the previously outlined criterion. So, while the Libyans would appear to be well-placed, it could still go either way this weekend.

Group 6: Algeria (9 points) can guarantee their involvement in the next phase with an away win against Liberia, who are marooned in bottom place. Over in the Senegalese capital Dakar, meanwhile, Senegal and Gambia, level on eight points, are both chasing a victory that would seal top spot in case of an Algerian slip-up.

Group 7: Boasting a three-point lead at the top and an excellent goal difference, Côte d’Ivoire are unlikely to have lost their grip on first place after the visit of closest challengers Madagascar (6pts). And in case of defeat, the Madagascans could even find themselves edged out of second spot, depending on the result when Botswana (5pts, GD -4) host Mozambique (5pts, +1).

Group 8: A Moroccan win at home to Mauritania by any margin would take them ahead of current leaders Rwanda. Even if a one-goal success brings the sides’ level on points and goal difference, Morocco will have the edge on goals scored.

Group 9: With both Burundi and Seychelles out of the running, all that remains is to see who finishes first and second between Burkina Faso and Tunisia. The Burkinabe travel to face Burundi with a three-point lead over the Carthage Eagles and a goal difference of +7 compared to +3. The Tunisians, however, who will host the Seychelles, are still well-placed to qualify either as group winners or one of the best second-placed sides.

Group 10: By some distance the most open group, all four teams still have a mathematical possibility of qualifying in first place. Leaders Mali (9 points), who welcome fourth-placed Chad (6), appear to hold the best hand, given their superior goal difference and goals scored record. Third-placed Sudan (6), meanwhile, could knock Congo (9) from second spot with a win.

Group 11: Swaziland (4 points) will overtake Zambia (7) in top spot with a victory away to Germany 2006 qualifiers Togo (3). The Togolese, currently last in the three-team group, need all three points to stand any chance of taking a best second-place berth.

Group 12: Needing just a draw to ensure qualification in first place, reigning African champions Egypt (12 points) are not expected to come up short at home to Djibouti, bottom after five defeats from five games so far. Things could barely be tighter between Malawi and their visitors this weekend Congo DR, both on nine points. The away side are currently marginally ahead on goal difference and goals scored, but a win for either in Malawi’s largest city Blantyre could seal a best second-place berth.

Written by Darkvader on October 10th, 2008 with no comments.
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South Africa Ahead of the 2010 Cup

I’m back. Again. Hopefully for good this time.

Anyways, South Africa. Host country of the 2010 World Cup. Enigmatic country going through some difficult change at the moment.

According to new South African president Kgalema Motlanthe (pictured, above) and ruling party leader Jacob Zuma, South Africa will meet all the deadlines set by FIFA and are on course to host the “best World Cup ever” in 2010.

The assurance was issued against a background of a domestic political drama in South Africa that saw the ruling African National Congress, headed by Zuma, oust Thabo Mbeki as head of government and replace him with “caretaker” president Motlanthe.

Taking office on September 25, Motlanthe re-appointed highly-respected finance minister Trevor Manuel but deputy minister Jabu Moleketi, a key figure in World Cup preparations, was not on the list of re-appointed members of the executive.

According to the September 26 statement by Mothlanthe and Zuma, FIFA president Sepp Blatter told the new president in a telephone conversation: “I want to thank Mr Motlanthe for taking the time today to personally inform me about the situation, as this underlines the importance of the 2010 FIFA World Cup to the South African government. I was pleased to hear from him that the 2010 FIFA World Cup is fully supported by all political and governmental authorities and that everything will be done to make 2010 an unforgettable success.”

Blatter assured Motlanthe of FIFA’s “100 per cent support and assistance in the preparations as well as FIFA’s full confidence and trust in South Africa’s organisational capabilities”.

In an article posted September 27 on goal.com, reporter Peter Pedroncelli wrote: “the political situation has transitioned smoothly to the normal state of affairs, with the new president eager to keep all matters running on the right track. The dust has quickly settled and the future is bright for a nation of proud football fans that appreciate the great honour and responsibility which comes with hosting the greatest show on earth. South Africa will be ready. The world will be proud!”

In an interview with South African daily The Citizen on September 26, government spokesperson Tiyani Rikhotso said: “As government we remain optimistic that South Africa will host a successful World Cup in 2010… the political changes will not have any negative implications for next year’s Confederations Cup and the 2010 World Cup”.

Local Organizing Committee chairperson Irvin Khoza has confirmed that an urgent meeting would be held to determine the impact of changes to government personnel as a result of Mbeki’s departure from office.

“Right now we are consulting with the ministries. It is important to say that the ministries have not resigned, and the government guarantees were signed by the ministries and not the individuals,” Khoza told Africa News.

MY POV: While reading these assurances is wonderful, the fact of the matter is that South Africa is facing some upheaval.

In an article printed in October 6th’s New York Times, writer Barry Bearak paints a gloomier picture.

The actual changing of the guard was orderly enough, but months of behind-the-scenes back-stabbing have made many South Africans long for days more abundant with moral clarity, including those fretful about a figure as polarizing as Mr. Zuma.

The past year has been especially unnerving, with one bleak event after another, and it is more than acidic politics that have soured the national mood. Economic growth slowed; prices shot up. Xenophobic riots broke out in several cities, with mobs killing dozens of impoverished foreigners and chasing thousands more from their tumbledown homes.

The country’s power company unfathomably ran out of electricity and rationed supply. Gone was the conceit that South Africa was the one place on the continent immune to such incompetence. The rich purchased generators; the poor muddled through with kerosene and paraffin.

Other grievances were ruefully familiar. South Africa has one of the worst crime rates. But more alarming than the quantity of lawbreaking is the cruelty. Robberies are often accompanied by appalling violence, and people here one-up each other with tales of scalding and shooting and slicing and garroting.

The poor apply padlocks in defense. The rich surround their homes with concrete and barbed wire — and there are suggestions that more are simply fleeing the country.

“On our street alone, just that one small street, three of the husbands in families were killed in carjackings or robberies,” said Antony McKechnie, an electrical engineer who a month ago moved to New Zealand. “If we had stayed and something had happened to any of our three children, we would never be able to forgive ourselves.”

Rich and poor, black, white and mixed race: their complaints may differ, but the discontent is shared. Polls show a pervasive distrust of government, political parties and the police.

I’ve expressed ultimate confidence in South Africa’s abilities to host the World Cup. But will this political upheaval finally unnerve the nation enough to endanger their confidence? Let’s hope not …

Written by Darkvader on October 6th, 2008 with no comments.
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Blatter to Visit South Africa Next Week

While most of the world is in qualification mode for the 2010 World Cup, the host country South Africa is also in ‘qualification mode.’

FIFA president Sepp Blatter visits South Africa next week and organizers of the 2010 World Cup are confident the head of football’s organizing body will like what he sees.

There’s been talk of moving the World Cup from South Africa to another country more prepared to handle it, like the United States or Germany. So this visit by Blatter and his cronies takes on a significant measure of importance.

Will they like what they see? Will they deem the country fit to host the biggest sporting event in the world?

Blatter begins a four-day visit to South Africa September 14, during which he’ll visit World Cup facilities in Johannesburg and Cape Town, World Cup Local Organising Committee (LOC) chief Danny Jordaan said.

“We have made tremendous progress and we hope to showcase this progress to him during his visit,” Jordaan told journalists while wiping sweat from his brow.

While the news that FIFA might move the World Cup startled the local organizing chiefs, they’re sure FIFA will like what they see this week.

“We are confident that we can host the competition. Long before 2010 all the (10) stadia for the competition will be ready,” Jordaan said, adding that an expected change in government next year will not affect the game hosting.

General elections are scheduled to be held next year in South Africa.

Approximately three million tickets will be sold for the 2010 World Cup in which 32 teams will participate, the LOC head of legal and tickets department, Leslie Sedibe, said.

A total of 120,000 complimentary tickets will be handed out to FIFA and LOC officials as well as “builders” of the stadia, he said.

The World Cup, will be preceded next year by the FIFA Confederations Cup, to be staged in four stadia across South Africa from June 14 to 28 next year.

The draw for the Confederations Cup, will be made on November 22 this year and the tickets will be put on sale five days later, he also said.

An estimated three million people will be at the stadia for the World Cup’s 64 matches while 30 billion people across the globe will watch the matches on the television, organizers said.

South Africa, which budgeted 30 billion rand (3.8 billion dolllars/ 2.6 billion euros) to host the World Cup, has recently requested a supplementary budget of three billion rand to meet the rising cost of materials from the government, Jordaan said.

“We have engaged government on a 10 percent increase on the World Cup budget. The increase is due to the effects of the global economy and the rising costs on our budget, including the rising cost of diesel” he stated.

MY POV: As I’ve stated before, it would be devastating to African football should FIFA move the Cup from South Africa. I’m more than confident Blatter and his henchman will like what they see next week. They better … why wouldn’t they??

Written by Darkvader on September 5th, 2008 with no comments.
Read more articles on 2010 World Cup and Danny Jordaan and FIFA and South Africa.

Cristiano Ronaldo’s Frustration

Written by ruzzel on September 1st, 2008 with no comments.
Read more articles on FIFA and cristiano ronaldo and manchester news and portugal.

FC BARCELONA OBLIGED TO ALLOW MESSI TO GO TO PEKING 2008

Written by STRIKER on July 30th, 2008 with no comments.
Read more articles on FC Barcelona and FIFA and Olympic Games and Peking 2008 and argentina.

Free Tickets to 2010 World Cup?!?!?!

Sit down before you read this ... This made my mind boggle this morning.

According to this website, whose information has been substantiated by the FIFA website, 120,000 ordinary African soccer fans will receive free tickets to all games during the tournament, including the World Cup Final itself.

WHAT???

I need to file for citizenship NOW!!

According to the website, 'World Cup 2010 tickets go on sale in early February 2009 and will be offered in a succession of "phases," designated by categories. ... Category 4 tickets will comprise 15 percent of total World Cup tickets and will be sold only to low-income residents of South Africa. The 120,000 complimentary tickets will be drawn from the Category 4 inventory, enabling unprecedented numbers of South African residents to attend the mammoth event.

The South African local organizing committee (LOC), together with groups and organizations such as FIFA and various commercial partners, will distribute the free tickets as part of a program for social initiative. "All South Africans contributed to bringing the FIFA World Cup to our country. So it is only befitting that we make tickets available to the ordinary fans at affordable prices," CEO of the LOC, Dr. Danny Jordaan, said in a statement.'

Wow. I didn't know about this. What does FIFA have to say about this?

As part of the overall ticketing operation, 120,000 category 4 tickets will be allocated to this ticket fund, which will offer them on a complimentary basis to fans in South Africa so that they can witness the world’s largest single-sport event at first hand. The ticket fund will consist of a certain number of tickets for all matches, from the opening game right up to the final.

The tickets will be distributed free of charge by FIFA, the South African LOC and FIFA Partners adidas, Coca-Cola, Emirates, Hyundai/KIA, SONY and VISA to South African residents through a special programme that will form part of a social responsibility initiative and act as a “catalyst" for sustainable change.
David Will, the chairman of the ticketing sub-committee, expressed his satisfaction with the overall ticketing strategy: “Together with the South African local organising committee, not only have we managed to provide a low-price category and a well-balanced price range but also to innovate by creating a special ticket fund. These arrangements take account of the importance of the FIFA World Cup and cater at the same time for the needs of fans in South Africa.”

Consider yourselves informed ... now who is going to help me get South African citizenship????

Written by Darkvader on July 10th, 2008 with no comments.
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