Vuvuzela South Africa

Carlos Alberto Parreira snubbed by Francew coach Domenech

France Coach Raymond Domenech refused to shake South African coach Carlos Alberto Parreira’s had after the Bafana Bafana vs France match in Bloemfontein yesterday.

2 -1 Victory for Bafana Bafana

At the end of the 2-1 victory for Bafana Bafana — which saw both  teams crash out of the World Cup — the ex-Olympique Lyonnais supremo swept aside etiquette to ignore Parreira’s handshake. If his rude and uncooth behaviour is supposed to set an example, it is no wonder his team went out of control

According to Kickoff. the snub is rumoured to have centred on the Brazilian’s previous declaration that France did not deserve to qualify for the tournament.

This whole week’s run-p to yesterday afternoon’s Group A finale symbolised the climax of the 58-year-old’s crisis-hit spell in charge of Les Bleus for the past four years.

Snub About France’s Qualification

South Africa coach Parreira believes the snub was in response to comments he had made about France’s controversial qualification for the finals when Thierry Henry’s infamous handball helped to see off the Republic of Ireland, says football365

Parreira said: “I believe it was because I had criticised his team after they qualified, but I really don’t remember.

“This is what his assistants told me.”

Laurent Blanc to Take Over

I am sure the French team ( and government) will be relieved that former Girondins de Bordeaux boss Laurent Blanc to take control after the 2010 World Cup.

Image: football 365

Popularity: 4% [?]

Sure Bafana Bafana can beat France in Bloemfontein this afternoon. South Afrika will make history one way or another in the epic South Africa vs France battle in Group A in the 2010 World Cup.

Coach Carlos Alberto Parreira

Coach Carlos Alberto Parreira has said that his team is not paying much attention to France’s internal turmoil. He has already mentioned that he has made five changes to the Bafana line-up that lost to Uruguay, including the two suspensions, goalkeeper Ithumeleng Khune and midfielder Kagisho Dikgacoi. Rumours on twitter are that Teko Modise is out, which means two other changes. But we are waiting for the announcement of the team.

Aaron Mokoena Says Bafana Can Score Three or Four Goals

Bafana Captain Aaron Mokoena told soccerladuma “The battle is not yet over. You know if other teams can score three goals, what can stop us from scoring four? It is our chance to turn the tables and avoid making history for the wrong reasons that of being the first host team to be knocked out of the World Cup in the group stages.”

“It is true, we did not play our normal game against Uruguay, and what we need to do now is bring back the winning mentality in the team ahead of the France game. We are determined to overcome our poor game and win this time,” he said.

Bafana Can Beat France

Franck Simon, who is part of the prestigious and highly-respected France Football stable tells Football365.co.za that Bafana have a great chance of recording a win.

More recently, they lost to Nigeria (0-1 in Saint-Etienne, 2009) and drew with Tunisia (1-1) without showing anything.

“They might have this little feeling of being superior to the Africans, and that complex might cause their elimination,” concluded Simon.

Group A Permutations

Uruguay and Mexico are in firm control and will both progress if their meeting in Rustenburg ends in a draw. There are rumors that the two teams might fix a draw so that they both go through, but with a probable last-16 clash against Argentina in store for the runners-up, Mexico will probably push for a win. This will open the door for France or South Africa who must win in Bloemfontein and hope to overhaul one of the other sides on goal difference or goals scored.

Image: Bafana Captain Aaron Moekoena – soccerladuma

Popularity: 3% [?]

Bafana Bafana vs France in Mangaung, Bloemfontein may be one of the most emotional games in the 2010 World Cup for South Africans.

Bafana Bafana vs France Pay Back Time for 3- Loss in 1998

On 12 June 1998 France beat Bafana Bafana 3 -0 at the Stade Vélodrome in Marseille in front of a crowd of 55,077. The France goals were scored by Dugarry 34′,Issa 77′ , and Henry 90′. France went on to win the World Cup that year!

Today, in Bloemfontein at the 45 000 seater Free State Stadium Bafana Bafana believe it is pay back time! And they will do so with flags, vuvuzelas and a Bafana Bafana team that they believe might just still pull it off.

World Cup Group A Clashes

The host nation face a crucial World Cup Group A clash in Bloemfontein later today, where they need to win by more than two goals and hope for a winning result in the group’s other fixture which will be played simultaneously between Mexico and Uruguay at the Royal Bafokeng Stadium in Rustenburg. Kick off for both matches is 16H00.

The impending early exit of the host nation, and the impact on the World Cup, has been overshadowed in the last days by a French player strike over the expulsion of Nicolas Anelka, who refused to apologise for allegedly swearing at his coach.

Bafana World Cup Performance

Bafana’s performance in the two World Cup matches has not been bad, but it has not been that great either. Holding Mexico to a draw in the excitement and intensity of the opening ceremony at Soccer City was  quite a feat, but the fact is that the South African team  has scored one goal in two outings at the 2010 World Cup. Even more worrying is the fact that the team created very little against Uruguay and looked lost for inspiration. They just seemed to be treading water.

Parreira Criticism

Head Coach Carlos Alberto Parreira has received more than a share of criticism for his unimaginative 4-2-3-1 formation, an approach that has become the de facto standard for teams as diverse as Germany and the Netherlands., who have attacking midfields to pull off this formation.

But maybe it is not our formation that is wrong, it is the players. Not that the players are not talented. However, remember, Parreira has only has a few months to work with these boys. It all goes back to grassroots football development.

Five Changes in the Bafana Bafana Team

The Bafana coach announced yesterday that he was going to make five changes to the Bafana Bafana team for the match against France. “I’m going to talk to the players tonight (Monday) and announce my changes tomorrow. I have already had training with the team that should play. In all there will be five (changes) including the two that have been red carded and yellow carded.”

Possible Solutions for Bafana Bafana

I have spoken to many experts and loyal supporters and they all seem to agree that Bafana needs at least two strikers up front. We just do not have the right midfield to play with a single striker.”

Bafana need to play an attacking game, maybe with Bernard Parker coming from the midfield while you have Nomvete and Mphela as outright strikers.

This way you can put France’s defence under pressure and they will start making mistakes

But unless we create chances and opportunities, unless Bafana start playing creatively, we will end up with the situation of two players isolated up front. Just throwing in an extra attacker does not resolve the original problem, which is – creating chances. Bafana could find themselves in a situation where instead of one man isolated up front, there will be two.

Khune and Dikgacoi Out on Suspension

Meanwhile all the players have been declared fit and are available for selection except for goalkeeper Itumeleng Khune and midfielder Kagisho Dikgacoi who are both serving a one-match suspension

Images by Sbu Ndlovu taken at a Bafana Bafana vs Zimbabwe match at Moses Mabhida Stadium Durban

Popularity: 6% [?]

Players who receive two yellow cards in different matches will no longer be at risk of missing the World Cup Final after FIFA announced it has changed its rules on player suspensions

Two Famous Yellow Card Incidents

Remember the two famous yellow card incidents in the World Cup?

• Paul Gascoigne cried after he was given a yellow card in the semi-final against Germany at Italia 90, a caution which meant he would have been banned from the final had England reached that stage.
• Germany’s Michael Ballack was forced to watch from the stands in 2002 after two yellow cards ensured he could take no part in his country’s game against Brazil.
• Italy’s Alessandro Costacurta in 1994 and Argentina’s Claudio Caniggia in 1990 also picked up yellow cards in semi-finals.

So for this 2010 World Cup South Africa, world soccer’s governing body has shifted its usual amnesty for yellow cards from the end of the first round until after the quarterfinals instead, said sport24.co.za

That means players would only miss the final if they receive two yellow cards – or of course a straight red – in a semifinal game, rather than in the past when they may have carried one yellow card going into a semi.

“FIFA simply said we want to give the best players a chance to play in the final,” spokesperson Marius Schneider said.

Red Card Rule Stays the Same

The Red card rules remain the same in the 2010 World Cup.

A red carries at least a one-match suspension and possibly more if the disciplinary committee considers the offence particularly serious. So, in theory, a player red-carded even before a semifinal could also miss the final.

Popularity: 5% [?]

Ok so you think building a paper model of the Moses Mabhida Stadium in Durban is as exciting as watching paint dry? You’ll change your mind when you see this video.

World Cup Matches, Moses Mabhida Stadium

And as a proud Durbanite, may I boast that the 2010 World Cup matches that have been played in Durban, have gone really well. (I still think Durban was allocated too few matches – we should have got eight)

I’m not a hobby-ist kind of person, but when I watched the video of how to build a paper model of the Moses Mabhida  Stadium in Durban, that I have watched rise from the ground, I was fascinated.

Paperlandmarks.com has released a kirigami (cut-and-fold) model of the new Durban football stadium, designed by German architects Gerkan, Marg and Partners. Print, cut out, fold and assemble it without a glue! Requires 14 sheets of 250-300 gsm paper. Size when assembled: 8,7 x 6,6 x 2,3 inches / 22 x 17 x 6 cm

So if you want to make your own model of the Moses Mabhida stadium check out the link – and have a look around paperlandmarks awesome site – there are many other landmarks you can make as well.

Durban – Moses Mabhida Stadium Transport Plan – How to Get There

Moses Mabhida 2010 Stadium Progress (Written in September 2009)

Popularity: 3% [?]