Vuvuzela South Africa

Well it looked like AmaZulu has it all in hand, two wins on the run and a KZN Derby as the opening match of the Moses Mabhida Stadium, but then the Maritzburg defender Byrone Hendricks  wrote his name into the history books by becoming the first player to score a goal at Durban’s new 2010 Stadium..

The Team of Choice became the Team of the Day when the closely matched teams struggled for the full ninety minutes to find space, and produced an interesting, if not thrilling game as the opening match for a crowd of 22 000 excited, vuvuzela-blowing spectators. The Score Martizburg United 1 – Amazulu 0.

Moses Mabhida Stadium, Durban - Great Design

Red Card – First Player to Be Sent Off

And talking about firsts, in the 28 minute AmaZulu’s Sibusiso Hadebe pulled clear of Maritzburg’s defence and was darting towards goal when some overzealous jersey tugging from Peter Petersen brought Hadebe’s run to a grinding halt a few metres away from the danger area. For his bad discipline, Petersen became the first player to be sent off at this venue.

The win takes The Team of Choice up to 12th on the Absa Premiership table as Usuthu drop down to 13th place.

Moses Mabhida Stadium

The hands- down winner of the day was the Moses Mabhida Stadium, which delivered and delivered again. From the well-organised parking; the very visible security presence; the ample restrooms and the wonderful seats with truly great views of the pitch from all over – this stadium is going to be a hit with the World Cup Crowds.

South African Soccer Crowds

I’m a bit sad that the real South African Soccer Fans, like the ones who shared the Stadium with me yesterday will probably not be filling up the stadiums for the world cup games because the tickets are too expensive. Because the vibe in a real soccer crowd is electric. If anyone wants to experience unity and African warmth, they just need to get a vuvuzela and become one with the crowd at a South African soccer match.

Laduma!

Also read my friend and Comrade in Vuvuzela’s, Fred Hatman’s account of the day and check out his great pics.

The Teams

AMAZULU: Mzimela, Van Heerden, Mkhona, Bishop, Bukasa, Biyela, Ngxabi,
Hadebe, Zwane, Ngwenya, Ritson. Subs: Gindre, SDlamini, A Dlamini,
Sangweni, Ariweriyai, Gumede, Mokoro.

MARITZBURG UTD: Goldman, Hendricks, Ngwepe, Petersen, Dikulu,Thakathi,
Chivuta, Madondo, Obada, Davids, Aka. Subs: Wardle, Diouf, Nyatama,
Ncubeni, Zimba, Madidilani, Bester

Maritzburg Supporters blowing their Vuvuzelas

Popularity: 3% [?]

Tomorrow’s KZN Derby between Amazulu and Maritzburg United  will be fought out under the biggest arch in the Southern hemisphere at Durban’s Moses Mabhida Stadium the first ever game to be played at this 2010 FIFA World Cup venue.

All 22 000 Seats Sold Out

All 22 000 seats were sold out three days ago as KwaZulu Natal football fans proved that it is not only Soweto Derby’s that can draw the crowds. This is not a friends, it a PSL points match

Usuthu  – Can They Make it Three Wins?

The Durban outfit go into the match on the back of two wins and are ready to extend that winning streak, wanting to get even after Martizburg beat them last season and again in the first round. Usuthu are determined to pick up the three points at this historic match at Moses Mabhida tomorrow.

Heavy Security at the Stadium

Usuthu PRO, Philani Mabaso told KickOff.com that entertainment activities are lined up for the occasion as the gates open at 10 am but warned fans that there would be security both on and off the stadium.

“There will be 500 security personnel, more than 450 Saps members and an additional 100 Metro police. Fans without tickets should not come near the stadium as the match is already sold out and only fans with tickets will be allowed in.”

Mabaso announced that apart from Myron Shongwe, the Usuthu camp was carrying no injuries ahead of the match.

What You Need To Know if You’re Going to the Match

Date: Sunday, November 29, 2009
Teams: AmaZulu FC vs Maritzburg United – and this “KZN Derby” is no friendly, but an important PSL points match
Times: Gates open at 10H00. The match starts at 15H30
Entertainment: A full and varied programme is planned, starting from 12H00. Shortly before the match, Mayor Obed Mlaba will give a brief address and officially “start” the game.
Tickets: Sold Out – No tickets available at the Stadium.
Food & Beverage: Level 3 concession stands will be open and ready to do business.
Transport/parking: Provision has been made for parking in the stadium, as well as bus and minibus taxi drop-off zones in surrounding areas.
Other: The usual prohibitions apply and the following items will not be allowed into the stadium – bottles, weapons, cooler boxes and alcohol.

About the Seating

Ticketholders are urged to read their tickets closely. The Moses Mabhida Stadium will not follow the “sit anywhere” policy common at many local venues.

Each seating sector is colour-coded and divided into numbered blocks. Your ticket will tell you in what sector and what block you will be seated. For the purposes of the OFFICIAL OPENING MATCH you will be permitted to sit anywhere in that block.

The bottom section of your ticket will show you the sector (indicated by a colour) colour and the block number within that sector where you will be seated. So, if your ticket says “Sector Yellow Block 128” that means you can sit anywhere in Block 128 in the Yellow Sector.

Therefore, friends who may be buying their tickets separately and want to sit together must ensure they all buy tickets in the same sector and block.

Watch The Match on TV1

The match kicks off at 15H30 and will be broadcast live on SABC 1.

Popularity: 3% [?]

Ag man, its FootBall Friday, so lets have a song . one of the World Cup Songs that people are writng and submitting, hoping to get some airplay and recognition. There is something quite special about this song – The Beautiful Game it is called and I don’t know much about it other than the blurb on YouTube that says 2010 Soccer World Cup Song – by Jolanta Durno and Eric Begala, South Africa.

Zakumi 2010 Mascot Song ( An unofficial version)

Jolanta messaged us saying: The song is currently on the Sony A&R system pitched as the Zakumi mascot song. The co-writer Eric Begala (the poetry & praise singing in the song is Eric) is enormously talented & is representative of the great wealth of possibility with which our nation is so very alive, & yet he lives in the informal settlement near Fishhoek. “The Beautiful Game!” uses soccer as a metaphor for nation building & is a rich collaboration of artists (Lead vocals by Obita & Eric Begala) from the entire spectrum of our Rainbow Nation! “The Beautiful Game!” is about a South Africa Alive with Possibility!…

The “Beautiful Game!” sculpture for the CD sleeve depicting a the people of our rainbow nation doing the Diski Dance around a soccer ball globe of the world was made by visual communications artist James Durno.

Popularity: 10% [?]

Jimmy Tau -– a Six- Pointer for the Glamour Boys

Tonight (Wednesday) Kaizer Chiefs meet Super Sport United in a must-win clash at Loftus Versveld on Wednesday evening, kick-off at 7:30pm.

Jimmy Tau – a Six- Pointer for the Glamour Boys

On the Kaizer Chiefs Website, skipper, Jimmy Tau describes the Absa Premiership game against SuperSport United on Wednesday night as a ‘six pointer’ for the Glamour Boys who have a chance of climbing the league table if they beat the PSL two time league champions.

The Glamour Boys are currently lying on 6th position with 25 points while SuperSport United are leading with 33 points. If Chiefs win, they could go to second behind SuperSport.

“This is a very important game for us. This game presents us with an opportunity to close the gap between us and SuperSport United,” Tau told the media on Tuesday morning at the Club’s Media Open Day.

Very Focused Ahead of the Game

“We are very focused ahead of this game. We know that if we beat SuperSport then we will be in a good position to challenge for the league honours this season. It has remained our objective to win the league and nothing is going to deter us from that goal,” warned Siphiwe Tshabalala .

Siphiwe Tshabalala – Must Win

“It is a very, very important game for us. We are eight points behind SuperSport and a win will help close the gap between us and them, that’s why this game is a must win for us and I’m confident we can do it,” Kaizer Chiefs  and Bafana Bafana left winger Siphiwe Tshabalala told Football365.co.za.

Absa Premiership Clash

“In order to defend our title we have to beat teams like Kaizer Chiefs,” says Morgan Gould ahead of SuperSport United’s Absa Premiership clash against the Amakhosi .

“We have set goals for ourselves as a team and one of those goals is to get maximum points against the bigger teams if we want to defend our league title,” continues the Matsatsantsa defender.

Morgan Gould - Matsatsantsa are Good Going Forward

Matsatsantsa are Good Going Forward

Matsatsantsa are definitely good going forward and their 33 goal tally thus far this season is evidence of that, but what may be of more concern to Gavin Hunt is the fact that his side have conceded a staggering eight goals in their last five matches, which includes four in their last two. Most recently, SuperSport, after taking a commanding lead, just managed to scrape a 3-2 win over Maritzburg United in their last league match.

Injuries and Suspensions

According to their website SuperSport will be without both Letladi Madubanya and Shane Poggenpoel for this match, who is out due to injuries. They will also miss the services of Tsietsi Mahoa who is suspended. Chiefs, on the other hand, are still without Valery Nahayo, who is nursing a groin injury.

Kaizer Chiefs vs SuperSport United  – Loftus Versveld on Wednesday evening, kick-off at 7:30pm.

Photos: Jimmy Tau – Kaizer Chiefs Website

Morgan Tau – SuperSport United Website

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OK, we are all stoked about the World Cup Final Draw on 4 December in Cape Town when we will know where and whom the 32 teams are playing, but what about the Official World Cup Match Ball?

Very little has been said about the most important element of this 2010 World Cup Mix – the Match Ball.

Every World Cup, Adidas releases a special World Cup Match Ball that becomes part of the history and hype of the tournament.

Confederations Cup – Kopanya

The name of the ball and its unusual design pay tribute to 2009 FIFA Confederations Cup hosts, South Africa. ‘Kopanya’ was unveiled as the Official Match Ball of the 2009 tournament.

The word ‘kopanya’ comes from Southern Sesotho, an official language spoken by almost five million people throughout the rainbow nation. Literally translated, kopanya means, “join together.”

The design honours tradition while embracing the future – a core value of Adidas. Like its predecessor, the ‘Europass’ (used for UEFA EURO 2008™) the Adidas ‘Kopanya’ provides perfect flight characteristics and allows the players exceptional ball control.

With Kopanya, which we seem to have been using since then, Adidas for the first time presented a match ball specifically made for the FIFA Confederations Cup, with a bright, colourful Ndebele style design.

The History of the Official World Cup Match Balls

Adidas started to make soccer balls in 1963 but made the first official FIFA World Cup ball in 1970. The first ball used in the World Cup to use the Buckminster type of design. The first ball with 32 black and white panels. The TELSTAR was more visible on black and white televisions (1970 FIFA World Cup Mexico™ was the first to be broadcast live on television).

• Telstar : Mexico, 1970
• Telstar Durlast R: West Germany, 1974
• Tango Durlast: Argentina, 1978
• Tango Espana: Spain, 1982
• Azteca : México, 1986
• Etrvsco:  Italy, 1990
• Questra: USA, 1994
• Tricolore: France, 1998
• ICON Women’s World Cup 1999 Match Ball
• Fevernova TM : Korea Japan, 2002
• Fevernova: USA Women’s World Cup 2003
• Teamgeist Germany, Berlin, and Final Balls 2006 for FIFA World Cup Germany, 2006

Other Soccer Ball History Information on Soccer Ball World.

Picture: Soccerball World.com

Popularity: 5% [?]