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World Cup 2010 News

All the News From South Africa in the Build Up to the 2010 World Cup

2009 | 2010

Tickets

December 5, 2009

After the draw for the eight groups on Friday in Cape Town, more than a million new tickets are now on sale at the fifa website. Applications must be received by 22 January. According to FIFA 674,403 tickets have been sold so far, or 90% of tickets available. More than 50% of tickets have been bought by South Africans. Americans have purchased 84,103 tickets, with people from the UK have bought 48,388.

Seeds

December 2, 2009

The World Cup 2010 seeds for South Africa are: Argentina, Brazil, England, Germany, Italy (holders), The Netherlands, South Africa (hosts) and Spain.

Fan Parks

December 2, 2009

World Cup fan parks with giant screens are planned for Sydney Harbour, Rio de Janeiro's Copacabana beach, London, Paris, Mexico City, Rome and Berlin, as well as the nine South African host cities.

Durban Stadium Opens

November 30, 2009

The spectacular 70,000-seater Moses Mabhida Stadium in Durban has opened with a match between Amazulu and Maritzburg United in the South African Premier League. 15,000 fans braved the rain to attend. The attendance was limited to 22,000 with only the lower tier in use.

World Cup Security

November 26, 2009

In preparation for next June's World Cup, South Africa has spent $86 million on equipment. That includes new helicopters, pursuit vehicles, and much high-tech crime-prevention gear.

In addition, 55,000 new police officers have been recruited. They will be supported by the South African defense forces and police from every country participating in the tournament.

During the 31-day World Cup, police will patrol the nine host cities on foot, in cars, on bicycle and horseback, and from the aforementioned helicopters.

The Grass Is Greener

November 24, 2009

South Africa's World Cup stadiums have been told by FIFA to switch from indigenous kikuyu grass to European ryegrass as European bigwigs have deemed kikuyu turf not green enough for TV viewers. The move has not gone down well with locals. Soweto based journalist Andile Mngxitama called the change "the biggest insult yet."

World Cup Courts

November 23, 2009

The South African governement will set up 54 special courts in the nine venue cities to allow visitors to give evidence while still in South Africa and therefore act as a deterrent to crime. Spokesman Tlali Tlali told journalists: "The courts are here to speed up the process. There is not going to be any leniency."

32 Teams Qualify

November 19, 2009

With Uruguay's qualification, 32 teams have booked their ticket to South Africa and are ready to go. The draw will be held in Cape Town on December 4th.

Then the countdown begins.

Will, however, South Africa be ready come June? Will the stadia be complete? Will transport be ready? Will there be enough hotel rooms? Will the ticket touts make a killing? And, the million dollar question, will security be in place and sufficient?

Japan Blasts Vuvuzelas

November 17, 2009

The Japanese Football Association (JFA) has joined the chorus of critics of the vuvuzela. After Japan's recent 0-0 draw with South Africa in a friendly match in Port Elizabeth, JFA president Motoaki Inukai complained to his South African counterpoint about the noise emitted by the air horns. Japan defender Marcus Tulio Tanaka added: "You can't hear what your team-mates are saying from two metres away. You have to go up to them to give instructions."

House Renters Look to Cash In During World Cup

November 12, 2009

Along Cape Town's "Golden Mile," owners of high-end mansions that overlook the sea and have a view of Table Mountain are charging as much as 90,000 rand ($12,100) per day.

World Cup sponsors and corporatations are snapping these properties up for the World Cup period. Many have swimming pools, jacuzzis, and state-of-the-art security systems.

At the other end of the socioeconomic scale, in Soweto, home owners are also hoping to rent their more humble homes next June and July. Rents are as little as 350 rand ($47) per night.

Gautrain Delayed

November 9, 2009

The landmark Gautrain high-speed rail connection linking Johannesburg, Pretoria and Johannesburg Airport will not be ready on schedule. The South African government refused to meet contractors' demands for extra finance to complete on time and at best, the new $3.5bn rail system will not be in place until at least a fortnight into next summer's tournament.

SA Police Warn Hooligans

November 9, 2009

Police chief Vishnu Naidoo has warned any football hooligans traveling to South Africa to cause trouble will be met with a zero tolerance policy. "If hooligans come and start trouble they will learn a very difficult way in which they will be dealt with in South Africa," he said.
"We've procured equipment for crowd management purposes like water cannons and body armour and we are not going to allow a few individuals to ruin a fantastic tournament for the many hundreds of thousands of people.
"We, in South Africa, are convinced that we are not going to be plagued by this type of behaviour."

Murder at Mbombela

October 29, 2009

Mbombela is one of the showpiece stadiums being readied for next summer's World Cup.

However, it has been plagued by scandal. A local city official was even murdered - it appears by professionals - for blowing the whistle on said corruption.

The stadium lies outside Nelspruit, close to the country's most famous park: the Kruger.

Natural beauty notwithstanding, the stadium has been a dirty business from the start. For example, the city tried to buy the land for the stadium for all of one rand - about 12 US cents - from the Matsafeni community owners (the attempt failed thanks to the intervention of a judge). In addition, rumors of irregular bidding, overpayments, tax evasion, and conflicts of interest have surfaced throughout the planning and building stages.

Local municipal speaker Jimmy Mohlala, a leading critic of all of the above, was shot and killed by masked men outside of his home in early 2009.

Moreover, the two schools that were cleared to make way for the stadium have yet to be built.

During construction, labor unrest led to violent clashes.

Finally, to date no electricty or water has been delivered to neighboring Mataffin township. The shacks in which the residents live are visible from the stadium.

England Keen On Rustenburg

September 23, 2009

Teams that have qualified for the 2010 World Cup are eagerly eyeing up training camps in South Africa. England seem set on a high-altitude complex under construction in Rustenberg - the Royal Bafokeng Sports Campus. The Netherlands seem poised to stay in up-market Sandton in Johannesburg, Brazil will return to Bloemfontein, where the team was based for this year's Confederation Cup, while the hosts Bafana Bafana will opt for the Parktown area of Johannesburg.

"No Power Cuts During Cup"

August 18, 2009

Thanks to the global economic downturn, there is no risk of power cuts during the World Cup. That according to South Africa Energy Minister Dipuo Peters.

The simple logic that belies this is that since last fall, when the world's economy collapsed, South Africans have been consuming much less electricity.

The biggest economy in Africa has been rationing power since January when the national grid nearly collapsed. That resulted in forcing mines and smelters to shut for days.

Worries are when the 450,000 fans and tourists arrive.

The government insists that all will be fine come next June.

Protests Turns Violent

July 22, 2009

South African police fired tear gas and rubber bullets at protesters who were demanding better services and more jobs on Wednesday near Balfour.

Unrest in Siyathemba township could possibly dent South Africa’s already shaky international image. Safety is perhaps the most pressing issue for those going to or planning to go to the World Cup next summer.

With less than a year to go before the soccer World Cup, many questions marks hang over the first Cup to take place in Africa: will the infrastructure be complete, will it be safe in and around the venues, will the World Cup be the grand party it is meant to be?

Construction Workers Strike

July 8, 2009

70,000 South African construction workers have gone on strike demanding a 13% pay rise. The strike threatens the ongoing building work on South Africa's World Cup stadiums and the new high-speed rail link between OR Tambo International Airport and Johannesburg, due to open just two weeks before the tournament begins.

Brazil Second Team Robbed in South Africa

June 25, 2009

At the recently completed 2009 Confederations Cup, Brazil was robbed. Not on the pitch, but in the hotel room.

Following Egypt's unfortunate experience with quick fingered prostitutes, Brazil became the second country to be the victim of theft. Brazilian officials announced that a jacket and some money were taken from a room at the Centurion Hotel, which is just outside Pretoria.

South Africa In The News

June 22, 2009

With the 2009 Confederations Cup in full swing, the British Lions on tour and only a year to go to the start of the World Cup, there has been a lot of press attention on South Africa over the past week. Hopes are that next year's tournament will inject US$7 billion into the South African economy and so far both the Confederations Cup and Lions Rugby tour have gone smoothly. Inevitably though, the press has focused on safety ahead of the World Cup. The statistics make grim reading with over 50 murders a day and a staggering 1 million rapes a year. A Medical Research Council survey found that 1 in 4 South African men have confessed to rape, and that of those who had raped someone more than 50% said they had done so more than once. 1 in 10 South African men have been raped by another man.

Egyptian Team Robbed

June 19, 2009

A number of players of the Egyptian national team competing in the Confederations Cup had cash stolen from their rooms at Johannesburg's Protea Wanderers Hotel. Around US$2,400 was taken. Players had not used the safes provided in each room, but had left cash lying around in drawers.

Low Turnout at Confed Cup

June 17, 2009

Fifa has been handing out free tickets to bolster attendances at the Confederations Cup. The opening match at Ellis Park in Johannesburg was a virtual sell-out, but gates at games in Bloemfontein, Pretoria, and Rustenburg, have been disappointing.

Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium Opens

June 8, 2009

The 48,000 capacity Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium, the first newly-built 2010 World Cup stadium to be completed officially opened yesterday in Port Elizabeth.
The first game at the new stadium will be the rugby union match between the touring British & Irish Lions and the Southern Kings.

World Cup Tickets Selling Well

March 28, 2009

Five days before the first round of ticket sales ends, applications topped the one million mark. This figure excludes applications by residents of South Africa. Applications have come from more than 160 countries, with the greatest number coming from South Africa, Britain, and the United States.

For ticket information, click here.

South African Lesbians Live In Fear Of 'Corrective' rape

March 14, 2009

An article in this week's Guardian highlights the case of the brutal "corrective" rape and murder of Eudy Simelane, former star of the South African women's soccer team - the Banyana Banyana.

128 countries apply for 2010 World Cup tickets

February 22, 2009

Applications from 128 countries for more than 200,000 World Cup 2010 tickets were received Saturday.

The largest number of orders came from South Africa, followed by Britain, the United States, Germany, Brazil, Australia, Japan, Mexico, Canada, Switzerland, Ireland, Holland, Spain, and Argentina. Tickets applications here.

World Cup Tickets On Sale!

February 20, 2009

The first phase of ticket sales started today with ticket applications available online here. Register and begin or amend your application. There are a number of sales phases for 2010 World Cup tickets:

First sales phase: 20 February 2009 to 31 March 2009
During the first ticket phase, the allocation process will involve a random selection draw for all over-subscribed Matches or Team Specific Tickets (TSTs). The first sales phase random selection draw will take place on 15th April 2009. Note: it makes no difference whether you apply early, on 20 February 2009, or late, on 31 March 2009. Each correctly submitted application will have the same opportunity of being successful in the draw.

Second sales phase: 4 May 2009 to 16 November 2009
Ticket applications submitted during phase two will be processed, subject to availability, on a first come first served basis - in the order of receipt.

Third sales phase: 5 December 2009 to 22 January 2010
The procedure corresponds to that of phase one: all correctly submitted applications received during this stage will be considered for allocation. If the number of applications for Match or Team Specific tickets (TSTs) exceeds the number of tickets available, tickets will be allocated by a random selection draw taking place on 1 February 2010. Please note: it makes no difference whether you apply early, on 5 December 2009, or late, on 22 January 2010. Each correctly submitted application will have the same opportunity of being successful in the draw.

Fourth sales phase: 9 February 2010 to 7 April 2010
Ticket applications submitted during this stage will be processed, subject to availability, on a first come first served basis - in the order of receipt.

First World Cup Stadium Completed

February 5, 2009

Loftus Versfeld Stadium became the first of South Africa's 10 World Cup venues to be completed. Construction on the Pretoria venue finished ahead of schedule.

It will open to the public for the first time for a South African Premier Soccer League match this Saturday.

Following renovations, the stadium's capacity is now 50,000, which is an increase of 5,000. In addition, a new roof has been built on one of the main stands.

This venue will be one of four used in this June's Confederations Cup.

The other three stadia - in Johannesburg, Bloemfontein, and Rustenburg - were scheduled to be completed last year but are still weeks if not months away from being done.

The remaining six 2010 World Cup venues are scheduled to be completed by the end of this year.

Sleaze and Anger

February 4, 2009

An article is last weekend's Observer newspaper paints a grim picture of sleaze and corruption ahead of Africa's first World Cup. The pessimistic piece in the UK weekly alleges widespread graft in the building of the nation's World Cup venues and the absense of any real sense of a feel-good factor as ordinary Africans grapple with the problems of widespread poverty and crime.

Transport Blueprint

January 30, 2009

South African Transport Minister Jeff Radebe paints an optimistic picture that South Africa's regionally developed transport infrastructure will be transformed in time for the World Cup with over 20 million USD investment.

Venue Posters Unveiled

January 26, 2009

The nine South African World Cup venue cities have unveiled their official posters.

Jimmy Mohlala Shot Dead

January 7, 2009

Jimmy Mohlala, 44, a member of the 2010 World Cup Organizing Committee was shot dead in his home in Nelspruit on January 4. Mohlala, a former vice-president of the South African FA, had blown the whistle on alleged corruption involving the construction of the 46,000 capacity Mbombela Stadium in Nelspruit in the province of Mpumalanga. Mohlala had made powerful enemies in the ANC governing party, who may have wanted him silenced.

Tickets For The Poor?

August 17, 2008

Poor people in South Africa will receive free or very cheap tickets to World Cup matches in 2010. 'We are talking about either giving away some tickets to the local population, which could come from our sponsors' allocation of seats, or having very, very cheap prices for South Africans. Something along these lines will definitely happen,' a Fifa official reported. 'We are determined to find ways of ensuring that the host population are not excluded from this huge event on their doorsteps.'

Pieter Burgstaller Shot Dead

November 26, 2007

Pieter Burgstaller, a former goalkeeper with SV Salzburg, was shot dead for his cell phone, passport and wallet on a golf course in Durban while attending the Soccerex Conference in Johannesburg. Franz Beckenbauer was quoted as saying after his acquaintance's death: "We won't be able to move so freely as we are used to at World Cups."

Stadium Worries

March 7, 2007

South African Treasury officials warned that although building South Africa's World Cup stadiums would create over 100,000 much-needed jobs, a skill deficit, procurement problems and a lack of raw materials may delay construction work.
Questions have already been raised that South Africa would struggle to have the stadiums ready on time. Malcolm Simpson, a Treasury's official on the World Cup unit described the risks to the project as "high", with a likely possibility of legal litigation over poorly prepared tenders.
"This is significant work and it is believed that construction contractors will have to have two teams working 24 hours a day on these sites to ensure that the stadiums are constructed on time," Simpson told the South African Parliament.
The South African government has promised (US$2.34 billion) for the World Cup and work on the stadiums in the nine host cities.

VISA v MasterCard

December 22, 2006

A U.S. District Court has ruled that FIFA improperly awarded sponsorship of the World Cup to credit card company Visa for the 2010 and 2014 World Cups after switching from Visa's main rival MasterCard, who had sponsored previous tournaments for the previous sixteen years.
As the case is still under appeal, FIFA is not obligated to comply immediately with a U.S. court order requiring it to grant MasterCard Inc. an eight-year sponsorship deal of the World Cup, nor can it switch to a sponsorship deal with Visa.

Policing

November 10, 2006

South Africa will beef up its police forces by an extra 35,000 officers in time for the 2010 World Cup. An additional 5,000 railway police will also be recruited. A total of 187,000 police will be on duty come the tournament up from the present figure of 152,000. South African authorities are worried the country's high levels of crime may deter fans from visiting or spoil the event for overseas visitors. Tourism Minister Marthinus van Schalkwyck was quoted: "The concern about the public railway system is a very valid one. Crime has historically been a problem." South Africa had 18,528 recorded homicides, 54,926 recorded rapes and 119,726 recorded robberies with aggravating circumstances in 2005/2006. (Figures: South African Police Service)

Spending & Stadiums

October 25, 2006

South African authorities are budgeting to spend 15.1 billion rand (US$1.98 billion) on the 2010 World Cup according to the National Treasury as the projected overall budget for the tournament continues to rise.
Trevor Manuel, South Africa's Finance Minister, said extra funds will be allocated to the construction and renovation of the stadiums to be used in the tournament and the development of the surrounding areas.
More money will spent on upgrading public transport, which at present relies on a hazardous minibus taxis and trains.
Planned new 70,000-seater stadiums in Cape Town and Durban, purpose built for the tournament run the risk of becoming white elephants after the event.
Tax laws will also be eased to allow certain goods such as media broadcasting equipment and medicines to be imported specifically for the World Cup.

Roads

October 23, 2006

The South Africa government plans to cut traffic snarls and road fatalities ahead of the 2010 World Cup.
There are an estimated 14,000 deaths each year on South Africa's roads, with around half of those involving a vehicle striking a pedestrian.
The new measures include road widening and expansion schemes, bicycle and pedestrian paths and improved bus services.

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