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World Cup 2010 South Africa

 

Carlos Alberto Parreira new coach South Africa for Fifa 2010

Carlos Alberto Parreira new coach South African Soccer team Bafana Bafana for FIFA 2010 World Cup
Signed and sealed. Those were the words of South African Football Association president Molefi Oliphant, last month, but middle August 2006 it is official. Carlos Parreira will coach Bafana Bafana, the South African National Soccer Team:

Carlos Alberto Parreira starts on 1 January 2007 as the new coach of the South African Soccer team Bafana Bafana in the years leading up to the FIFA 2010 World Cup in South Africa.

Parreira, the 64 year old Rio de Janeiro born Brasilian, coached Brasil to their FIFA World Cup in 1994. He also coached the Brasil national team in 2006, Kuwait in 1982, United Arab Emirates in 1990 and Saudi Arabia in 1998.


Mbeki's speech at the unveiling of the South African 2010 FIFA World Cup Logo
Programme Directors, Tumi Makgabo and Marcus Ziegler,

Your Excellency, President of FIFA, Joseph Sepp Blatter, Your Excellency, UN Secretary General, Kofi Annan, Your Excellency, CAF President, Issa Hayatou, Your Excellency, Chairperson of the African Union Commission, Alpha Omar Konare, Your Excellencies, Members of the Diplomatic Corps,

Distinguished guests, Distinguished members of the media, Musicians, Soccer ambassadors, fans and friends, Ladies and gentlemen:

I am truly delighted to address you on this auspicious occasion - indeed a double celebration of the unveiling of the FIFA Soccer World Cup 2010 South Africa Emblem and the 14th anniversary of the re-entry of South Africa to the international football arena which took place on the 7th July 1992.

On behalf of the Organising Committee South Africa, the government and the people of South Africa, we wish to express our heartfelt thanks to FIFA, the Organising Committee Germany, the government and people of Germany for their magnanimous gesture in allowing us the privilege of unveiling the 2010 Emblem during this glittering sporting tournament in Berlin.

May I also congratulate FIFA, the Organising Committee Germany and the government and people of Germany for hosting a magnificent tournament and for sharing your world-class wisdom and expertise with our 2010 Organising Committee.

It is fitting that, on 9 July, Germany hands over to South Africa the hosting of the FIFA Soccer World Cup 2010 in this city of Berlin. I am saying it is fitting because the Brandenburg Gate, in all its glorious splendour, stands testament to the changing fortunes of Germany from a divided to a re-united nation in a spirit of reconciliation, togetherness and growing prosperity on both sides of the Gate.

Indeed, the Brandenburg Gate is now a symbol of German resilience, pride, dignity and joy. As Germans will recall, it was football that played such a pivotal role after the Second World War in re-defining and healing the trauma of a devastated nation.

Who can forget Helmut Rahn's magnificent winning goal that brought victory to the underdogs, Germany, against the favourites, Hungary, in that memorable 1954 FIFA World Cup in Berne? Indeed, the "Miracle of Berne", as it then became known, was widely considered to be one of the major catalysts in Germany's economic recovery as it ensured a growing and prospering soccer industry.

For Franz Beckenbauer, that historic World Cup day when German hearts beat in unison was not simply a sporting victory. As he says: "The Boss (as Helmut Rahn was called) contributed to the most important success in German sporting history. - Germany became someone again. We gave ourselves the feeling of self-respect again."

We are confident that the 2010 Soccer World Cup will do the same to consolidate our self-respect and dignity gained when we attained our freedom and democracy in 1994 and in a unique way help our own nation and the continent of Africa also to bask in the "Miracle of South Africa".

This will clearly be a special tribute to many South Africans and Africans who have triumphed over the pernicious system of apartheid which even denied a black child the right to play football with a white child. The 2010 Soccer World Cup belongs to the many Africans, who in many parts of the world engage in a continuous struggle against racism and xenophobia.

As many of us in this room are aware, everyday we take important steps to reunite what was a divided nation. We continue to work together to ensure that every South African enjoy dignity, freedom and justice and that our children grow up in an environment that nurtures their talents, infusing the spirit of resilience and determination even in the face of difficult challenges.

This is the same spirit that helped us overcome such formidable trials and tribulations as presented by the system of apartheid. In many ways this spirit has for years been best manifested within the game of football as players, administrators and fans defied and outmanoeuvred the apartheid system to keep the game alive.

 

            

The Stadiums

The soccer matches of the World Cup soccer in 2010 will be held in different cities and FIFA stadiums across South Africa.
The soccer matches of the World Cup soccer in 2010 will be held in different cities and stadiums across South Africa. CapeTownMagazine.com gives you an overview.

Cape Town: Cape Town is one of the most popular tourist destinations in South Africa, and according to many one of the most beautiful cities in the world. World Cup 2010 Stadium: A 70.000 seater FIFA stadium in Greenpoint will be built in the next couple of years. .
 
Durban: In Durban, South Africa's busiest port, the temperatures seldom drop below 16 degrees Celsius. The city with its white beaches and warm waters is one of the most popular surf locations in South Africa.  World Cup 2010 Stadium: King Senzangakhona Stadium, a 60 000 seater stadium, will be replacing the current King's Park Stadium for the World Cup soccer 2010.
 
Johannesburg (‘Joburg'): 
The capital of the Gauteng province is the economical heart of the region and of South Africa. World Cup 2010 Stadium: Johannesburg will also be the epicentre of the World Cup Soccer, as Joburg is home to Soccer City. This 94.000 + seater stadium will host the opening and the final of the World Cup Soccer in 2010. Apart from Soccer City Johannesburg boasts the 60.000 seater stadium of Ellis Park, which will be renovated for the event.
 
Bloemfontein:
Bloemfontein is situated in the Free State province of South Africa, and is home to the constitutional court. World Cup 2010 Stadium: The Free State Stadium will receive and extra ring. In total 40 000 soccer fans will be able to watch the matches from Free State Stadium.

Nelspruit: Nelspruit is the capital city of South Africa's Mpumalanga province. From Nelspruit, the Kruger National Park is a stone throw away. World Cup 2010 Stadium:  A new stadium - the Mbombela Stadium - is being built in Nelspruit for the World Cup Soccer 2010. In total, 40.000 soccer fans will be able to enjoy the event.

Polokwane: Polokwane, the capital city of South Africa's Limpopo province is also called the land of the Baobab and the rain queen. World Cup 2010 Stadium: the soccer matches planned for Polokwane in Limpopo will be played in the Peter Mokaba Stadium.
 
Port Elizabeth (‘PE'):Port Elizabeth, surrounded by nature and beautiful coastlines, has a lot to offer, from Addo Elephant Park and several game reserves. World Cup 2010 Stadium: A brand new stadium is planned for Port Elizabeth, the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium.
 
Pretoria: Pretoria is situated 60 kilometres outside of Johannesburg, in the Gauteng Province, and is South Africa's administrative capital. FIFA 2010 Stadium: the matches for the World Cup soccer 2010 that are planned for Pretoria will be held in a 50.000 seater stadium in the heart of Pretoria.
 
Rustenburg: Rustenburg lies 100 km north from Johannesburg, on the foot of the Magaliesberg. World Cup 2010 Stadium: The Royal Bafokeng Sports Palace has space for 40.000 soccer fans.

 

Host cities & stadiums World Cup 2010 officially approved by FIFA
At FIFA's Executive Committee the proposed host cities and stadiums in South Africa proposed where officially approved.
At FIFA's Executive Committee meeting halfway March 2006, the host cities and stadiums proposed by the South African Local Organizing Committee were formally approved.

In total there will be nine host cities: Cape Town, Port Elizabeth, Durban, Nelspruit, Johannesburg, Pretoria, Rustenburg, Bloemfontein, and Polokwane.  

A total of 10 stadiums will be used in these nine host cities. Four new stadiums will be built: Cape Town (Greenpoint Stadium), Port Elizabeth (Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium), Durban (King's Park Stadium) and Nelspruit (Mbombela Stadium). The remaining six will be upgraded - Rustenburg (Royal Bafokeng Stadium), Bloemfontein (Free State Stadium), Pretoria (Loftus Versfeld Stadium) Polokwane (Peter Mokaba Stadium) and Johannesburg (Soccer City and Ellis Park Stadiums).

In his State of the Nation address in February 2006, President Thabo Mbeki announced: "In return for the irreplaceable benefits of hosting a World Cup, we owe it to FIFA and the rest of the soccer world to prepare properly for 2010."



The momentum for this preparation started on Friday 17 March when FIFA's Executive Committee met at FIFA House in Zurich. One of the topics on the agenda was the decision on host cities and stadiums to be used at the 2010 FIFA World Cup. The Committee ratified the host cities and stadiums proposed by the South African Local Organizing Committee.

At the press conference held after
the Executive meeting, FIFA President Joseph Blatter said: "The FIFA Executive Committee have confirmed the nine cities and 10 stadiums available for the FIFA World Cup South Africa 2010. You can see that even though Germany 2006 has not started yet, 2010 is already in full operation!"

The CEO of the South African Local Organizing Committee, Danny Jordaan, said: "The announcement of the host cities in South Africa is the first concrete step taken in the delivery of the 2010 FIFA World Cup. The cities' co-operation and enthusiasm is unparalleled and signals the determination of the host cities to be wonderful hosts and deliver world class infrastructure with African sensation."

The early announcement is a positive move for the South African host cities as they can go to the 2006 FIFA World Cup and learn from their German counterparts. The cities will now start dealing with infrastructural challenges such as airport upgrades, building or upgrading their stadiums, and improving transportation networks to handle the football fans that will flock into South Africa.

South Africa won the right to host
the 2010 FIFA World Cup after narrowly missing out to Germany for the 2006 FIFA World Cup. South Africa have hosted the IRB Rugby World Cup, the ICC Cricket World Cup and the CAF Africa Cup of Nations but this will be the first time the beautiful game's showpiece event will be held on African soil.

Source: FIFA.com / March 2006


What Fifa had to say about SA
5 May 2004
Whether or not you're a football follower, the report on South Africa by Fifa's globe-trotting inspection team makes for interesting reading.
The group, headed by Belgian football association president Jan Peeters and including Pertti Alaja (Finland), Jacques Bouillon (France), Michel Sablon (Belgium) and Harold Mayne-Nicholls (Chile), visited South Africa for a total of 155 hours and 25 minutes between 30 October and 5 November 2003.
In their report, published on Fifa's website on 4 May, the group gave South Africa the highest grading of five countries bidding to host the 2010 Football World Cup.
They concluded that South Africa had the potential to organise an "excellent" World Cup - compared to Egypt and Morocco's potential to organise "very good" World Cups, Tunisia's potential to organise a "good" World Cup, and the probability that Libya would "face great difficulties in organising a World Cup to the standards required".

COUNTRY OVERVIEW
The Republic of South Africa is situated in southern Africa and has a population of approximately 44 million inhabitants.
Since 1994, the country has been a democratic republic. The President is head of state and, at the same time, head of the government. There is no prime minister. The current President is Thabo Mbeki, elected by the National Assembly on 16 June 1999 and, at the time of this report, seeking a second period of office of five years.
The population is made up of four distinct ethnic groups. Firstly, the black section comprises 75.2%, then whites 13.6%, followed by 8.6% of half-castes and 2.6% of Indian origin. The majority religion is Christian.
Altogether, there are 11 official languages: Afrikaans, English, Ndebele, Pedi, Sotho, Swazi, Tsonga, Tswana, Venda, Xhosa and Zulu.
As regards the economy, South Africa is a middle-income country. It should be pointed out that it is based on a free market that is emerging rapidly with plentiful natural resources, mainly mineral, but also widespread fishing and agriculture.
Its tax policy, we were told, is conservative. The inflation rate in 2002 was 8.9%.
Some problems still exist in the country as a result of the apartheid era. Strictly speaking, they are fairly serious social, labour and health problems (principally Aids, affecting an estimated 20% of the population), which the two democratic governments in the history of the country (between 1994 and 1999 the President was Nelson Mandela) have tried to tackle with a series of plans and programmes providing water and electricity for the entire population. They are now committed to developing a vigorous programme to fight unemployment.
These problems are distinctly reflected in the population that largely comprises the mainly black lower classes. The middle and upper classes comprise mainly whites (although we were shown statistics indicating clearly that the black sector was slowly but steadily acquiring more purchasing power).
The total workforce is estimated at around 28% of the population. In 2002, the unemployment rate was estimated to be approximately 30%, with nearly 50% of the population living below the poverty line.
The capital of the country is Pretoria, with two million inhabitants. The main financial and business centre is Johannesburg, with more than 4.1 million inhabitants. The legislative body is situated in Cape Town, which has 2.9 million inhabitants, whereas the judiciary is based in Bloemfontein, with 645 000 inhabitants.
It is also important to point out here that the work to improve the infrastructure of roads and airports in the country will be covered by the government in accordance with the country's development plan, irrespective of whether South Africa is awarded the 2010 FIFA World Cup. The 2010 FIFA World Cup bid documentation states that this plan provides for a total investment of US$825.3-million.
SAFETY AND SECURITY IN THE COUNTRY
General information indicates that South Africa shows a lack of security, but the Inspection Group was not aware of any such claims during the visit, although it was possible to read press reports on some violence in marginal areas during our visit.
Despite this fact, we can say that the people of South Africa were always friendly, very boisterous and constantly celebrating during our visit to the country.
We therefore came to the conclusion that as long as people attending the 2010 FIFA World Cup (FIFA family and spectators) keep within certain boundaries, they should not encounter any trouble.
With regard to organising security for a possible 2010 FIFA World Cup in the country, the Inspection Group received an excellent, comprehensive work schedule from one of the high commanders of the national police, covering stadiums, media centres and main hotels, that will doubtless satisfy every requirement for the event.
After the presentation we concluded that they have enough experience with this kind of event to handle them without difficulty.
We must say that the security business is a flourishing industry in the country.
TELECOMMUNICATIONS
South Africa is the leading country in telecommunications in Africa, and has the most widespread infrastructure and technology on the continent. This sector will certainly continue to undergo enormous development over the next few years.
Facts in this connection are the following: 5 million telephone land lines in South Africa (11% of the population), more than 15 million mobile phones (34% of the population), and more than 2 million regular internet users.
Almost all telecommunications are digital, and all of the venues will be connected by fibre optics.
The opinion of the Inspection Group is that South Africa has an excellent existing capacity to meet every telecommunications and IT requirement for the 2010 FIFA World Cup.
TRANSPORT
Airports
In this connection, the Inspection Group referred to information in the book "AC-U-KWIK", issued by the Pilots Corporation based in the USA.
There are 10 international airports (Alexander Bay, Bisho, Cape Town, Durban, East London, George, Johannesburg, Phalaborwa, Pietersburg and Port Elizabeth).
The Inspection Group used four of these airports (Johannesburg, Port Elizabeth, Durban and Cape Town), and we confirm that all four comply with international standards, especially Johannesburg airport, which has won accolades as the best airport in Africa over the past two years
The other airports we used (Rustenburg, Bloemfontein, Polokwane and Pretoria) are not currently equipped for taking international commercial flights, as they are military bases or national airports, where chartered planes could possibly land.
Roads
In South Africa the road network is first-rate. There is no problem moving from one town to another, although it is a huge country with enormous distances separating the main towns. Altogether, it has 7 200km of national roads and more than 50 000km of provincial roads.
Seaports
Although there are a number of major ports (Durban, Port Elizabeth, East London, Cape Town, etc), the Inspection Group did not examine them in detail. Passenger liners can be easily accommodated in these ports, but people are not expected to be arriving via the ports, given South Africa's distance from other continents and the huge distances between the various ports.
Railways
There are currently 6 000km of rail tracks throughout the country, and train connections between the various towns are good. Only two 2010 FIFA World Cup proposed venues are not connected to the railway network. The country has a strong railway culture.
Public transport in the cities
Public transport is split into four main sections: mini-vans, buses, trains and taxis. A mini-van system is mainly in use for collective transport, taking commuters home while picking up others en route. The urban train network (subway and over ground) is also well frequented and popular in some cities.
HOTELS
The hotel sector in South Africa is first-rate. The Inspection Group confirms that there are enough hotel rooms to accommodate everyone taking part in the 2010 FIFA World Cup, including media representatives and fans from around the world, both in the main towns (Johannesburg, Durban, Cape Town, Port Elizabeth and Pretoria) and in the other towns suggested as 2010 FIFA World Cup venues (Rustenburg and Bloemfontein). With regard to Polokwane, at the time of our visit, we believe that the hotel infrastructure does not measure up to FIFA requirements.
MEDICAL SERVICES
On the whole, the health system has excellent facilities and perhaps one of the best private health systems in the world, drawing on modern technology and highly qualified specialists and medical staff.
We have to add that there are fully equipped infirmaries with adequate first-aid facilities to meet every need in the stadiums proposed for the 2010 FIFA World Cup.
Additionally, the Inspection Group was able to visit the Doping Control Laboratory authorised by the International Olympic Committee, in Bloemfontein, and the Sports Institute in Cape Town, where a great deal of medical research is carried out in the sphere of sport.
As regards the general health of the population, the statistics on HIV carriers (an estimated 20% of the population) are indeed worrying, which is why a vigorous preventive campaign is under way, and in this connection, the President of South Africa mentioned his personal concern and that of the government to eradicate this disease.
Finally, the Inspection Group feels it is important to highlight its visit to the Milpark Hospital in Johannesburg, which is, without doubt, a world-class establishment for every type of treatment.
STADIUMS
In the opinion of the Inspection Group, if the 2010 FIFA World Cup were to start on the date of submission of this report [30 April 2004], three stadiums in South Africa would easily be suitable for the 2010 FIFA World Cup.
They are: Cape Town (Newlands), Johannesburg (Ellis Park) and Durban (King's Park Soccer Stadium), which have been venues for world events such as the Rugby World Cup.
Furthermore, five stadiums would have to undergo partial refurbishment to qualify as 2010 FIFA World Cup venues. They are: Bloemfontein (Free Park Stadium), Pretoria (Loftus Versfeld), Rustenburg (Royal Bafokeng Sports Palace), Orkney (Oppenheimer Stadium) and Johannesburg (Soccer City).
Additionally, during the visit, the Inspection Group received information that a final choice is expected to be made from among the following stadiums if the 2010 FIFA World Cup is granted to South Africa: Kimberley (Kimberley Stadium), Nelspruit (Mbombela Stadium), Pretoria (Rainbow Junction), Port Elizabeth (Port Elizabeth Stadium) and Polokwane (Peter Mokaba Stadium).
The latter already has a building, but because of the importance of the 2010 FIFA World Cup, the Inspection Group believes that it would be better to build an entirely new stadium.
The Inspection Group considers that this important investment will be a legacy for future generations in South Africa and will help to continue developing football, plus other sports in the country, due to the fact that they have already a very strong sporting culture.
TRAINING FACILITIES
Since South Africa has a very strong sports culture, many sports centres and stadiums are available (facilities for soccer, cricket, rugby, athletics, etc).
Most of the training facilities are smaller stadiums, technical schools or university centres, and the group does not expect problems for teams in this respect.
The bid programme for upgrading the training grounds is a main part of the strategy to leave a lasting legacy, as the training facilities will have a positive impact on local clubs and communities after the 2010 FIFA World Cup.
Most of the pitches must be improved, especially the quality of the grass, as well as some dressing rooms, but there is no doubt whatsoever that almost all basic infrastructure is available and can be easily upgraded to World Cup standards.
CONGRESS & EVENT VENUES
In the opinion of the Inspection Group, South Africa has more than enough facilities to hold all the different events that must be organised for the 2010 FIFA World Cup (preliminary draw, final draw and others).
Concerning the Congress to be organised before the opening game, they have more than one excellent Congress Centre that is perfectly suitable for organising this very important event.
COUNTRY'S COMMITMENT
The Inspection Group believes that South Africa is totally committed to the 2010 FIFA World Cup.
This was evident from the meetings held with the President of the Republic, the former President Nelson Mandela, the Speaker of the Parliament, various Ministers, members of Parliament, municipal authorities in each venue, business people and, above all, the various ethnic groups in South Africa, who would stop and show their joy and support of the country's commitment whenever our group passed by.
BUDGET FOR HOSTING THE TOURNAMENT
Budget analysis. We were able to separate the total expenditure into two items:

  1. Investment in infrastructure
  2. Operations of the 2010 FIFA World Cup

Investment in infrastructure (building, renovating stadiums plus training facilities)
·  Investments in venues US$112-million
·  Total amount US$112-million
Operations of the 2010 FIFA World Cup
Expenditure:
·  Venue operations US$ 46 453 174
·  Safety and security costs US$ 36 274 183
·  Media organisation costs US$ 51 037 772
·  Transport US$ 13 470 373
·  Ticketing US$ 8 557 494
·  Technology solution US$ 8 324 999
·  Official events US$ 31 926 036
·  Organisation and administration US$ 47 983 405
·  Hotels US$ 9 596 986
·  Advertising and marketing US$ 13 165 376
·  Support and services US$ 26 714 741
·  Sponsorship goods US$ 30 000 000
·  Contingencies US$ 40 550 454
·  Total amount US$ 364 054 993
Total expenditure in operations has been calculated at US$ 364 054 993 plus US$ 112 000 000 in infrastructure, with a total amount of US$ 476 054 993, but it was not possible to review the manner in which the budgets had been drawn up or to understand completely the policy behind the figures.
We wish to state that income had been calculated under two items:
·  Ticket sales US$ 467 459 448
·  Local sponsors and value in kind US$ 73 726 103
·  Total income was calculated at US$541 185 551
In the opinion of the Inspection Group, the total amount of ticket sales revenue will be very difficult to reach.
This budget was presented with a surplus of US$ 65 130 558. It is import to point out, however, that the organisers have not budgeted for any contribution from FIFA.
STANDARD OF FOOTBALL IN SA
Football is the main sport in South Africa.
To analyse the standards of football in South Africa at international level, we can only refer to the past 12 years, although there is ample evidence that the sport has been played in South Africa since the end of the 19th century.
Despite this fact, which was due to apartheid, we must say that South Africa is one of the leading lights in football in its confederation, both at club and at national level.
We had the opportunity of attending a last-16 match in the Coca-Cola Cup (first-division club tournament organised by the association) between Kaizer Chiefs from Johannesburg and Ajax from Cape Town, played in Ellis Park, Johannesburg.
Considering the home advantage, we saw how many more fans were cheering for Kaizer Chiefs, who went ahead twice only to draw later, but the fans always respected their rivals, who were seated in the same sector of the stadium.
We have to add that the stadium was practically full and there was not one incident of disorderliness or misconduct among the spectators.
Finally, it must be added that South Africa has a great tradition of sports culture, perhaps the strongest in Africa, especially in cricket and rugby, but since the new democratic era, football has overtaken other sports to become the leading sport in the country.
Honours
National team:
World Cup: First phase 1998 and 2002
African Cup of Nations:
Winners 1996
Runner-up 1998
Organisers 1996
Bidding for CAN 2008
Women's national team:
Runner-up African Cup of Nations 1995
Women's u-19 national team:
Runner-up African Cup of Nations 2002
Club level:
CAF Champions League: 1995 Orlando Pirates
African Cup Winners' Cup: 2001 Kaizer Chiefs

Source: FIFA.com

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