Vuvuzela South Africa

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: 9% [?]

Today the solid gold FIFA World Cup Trophy will leave from Zurich to Cairo for the African leg of the World tour where it will visit over 53 countries to bring the REAL World Cup Experience to fans.

World Cup Trophy Tour

The Trophy Tour, which will begin its journey from the FIFA Headquarters today, September 21, 2009, will travel around the world before arriving in the host country of South Africa on May 4, 2010. The total distance the tour will travel is 134,017 kilometers (83,274 miles) or more than three times the circumference of Earth. The Tour was developed through an exclusive partnership between FIFA and Coca-Cola, a FIFA Partner and one of the organization’s longest-standing corporate partners.

Free tickets to the 2009/10 Trophy Tour will be made available to consumers via Coca-Cola promotions in countries on the route.  At events in each city, fans will have the opportunity to have a souvenir photo taken of themselves with the trophy, view a special 3-D movie showcasing memorable moments of the FIFA World Cup, participate in interactive displays, and enjoy other entertainment.

Arrive for World Cup Draw

The solid gold FIFA World Cup Trophy( below)  will arrive in Cape Town on 4 December 2009 in time for the World Cup Draw.

Popularity: 14% [?]

The FIFA World Cup is occasionally called the Football World Cup, but usually referred to simply as the World Cup.

Over the eighty years of the ultimate footballing tournament, over 31 million spectators have attended over 708 matches and witnessed the scoring of 2 063 goals.

So much has changed since the first World Cup was held in Uruguay in 1930.

For the 2010 FIFA World Cup over 852 matches will take place before the 32 teams  that will contest the finals in South Africa are announced. The final draw will be held at the new Green Point Stadium in Cape Town on 4 December 2009.

World Cup in 36 laguages?

How would you like to be able to say World Cup in 36 laguages? Well, I never thought about it until I saw a post by an enterprising blogger Daryl, on World Cup Blog, who seemed to have looked them all up. I see only two of our 11 official launguages there, so how about we add the other nine and help Darryl extend his list?

And as this is an African World Cup, what about some more African languages?

Popularity: 11% [?]

I’ll never forget the the 2006 Soccer World Cup Final. Zinedine Zidane’s headbutt was one of the most unforgettable moments of the whole tournament

I had been driving around Ireland, staying for a day or two in small towns, wandering around, taking pictures – watching the soccer with the locals in the pubs. It is was great fun – none of us had a dog in the fight – we all enjoyed the soccer, but slipped in a bit of rugby in between pints, and then eventually I was somewhere on the West coast on Ireland and I decided to take a room above the pub so I would miss the cup final.

I’d been holding my breath for days in case the soccer hooligans destroyed all Germany’s beautiful old fountains and buildings, but so far so good.

We cheered as the the final started with each side scoring within the first 20 minutes. Zinedine Zidane opened the scoring by converting a controversial seventh-minute penalty kick. But that was just the begging of a day of controversy for the man from Marseilles.

Near the end of extra time, Zidane head-butted Materazzi in the chest in an off-the-ball incident – he later said the Italian insulted his mother – and Zizou was sent off. Extra time produced no further goals and a penalty shootout followed, which Italy won 5–3

The 2006 World Cup victory also helped Italy top the FIFA World Rankings in February 2007 for the first time since November 1993.

I believe the 2006 World Cup stands as one of the most watched events in television history, garnering an estimated 26.29 billion non-unique viewers, compiled over the course of the tournament. The final attracted an estimated audience of 715.1 million people

Popularity: 7% [?]

The Official Match Ball for the 2010 FIFA World Cup™ is expected to be announced in December this year.

1978 World Cup – the Tango

This 2010 official match ball will probably also become a collectors item like the black and white Tango from the 1978 World Cup in Argentina. It was this very Tango, that Argentinean striker Mario Kempes slammed into the back of the net six times on his team’s journey to the trophy at the River Plate Stadium.

The 1978 World Cup was won by Argentina who beat the Netherlands 3-1 after extra time in the final. This win was the first World Cup title for Argentina who became the fifth team (after Uruguay, Italy, England, and West Germany), to be both hosts and world champions.

Kopanya – FIFA Confederations Cup.

Adidas, for the first time ever, created a match ball specifically designed for a FIFA Confederations Cup. The name of the ball and its unusual design paid tribute to 2009 FIFA Confederations Cup hosts, South Africa.

Official Match Ball

‘Kopanya’ was unveiled as the Official Match Ball of the 2009 tournament in front of a roaring crowd as South Africa faced off against Africa’s Indomitable Lions, Cameroon, in the annual Nelson Mandela Challenge Match.
The 2010 FIFA World Cup™ hosts and the African football giants were the first teams to ever set use ‘Kopanya’. At the international friendly which was played at the Royal Bafokeng stadium in Rustenburg. This match precedes the Final Draw for the 2009 FIFA Confederations Cup.

In case you are wondering, the word ‘kopanya’ comes from Southern Sesotho, and literally translated, kopanya means, “join together.”

Adidas Teamgeist III Kopanya

A clear symbol of the first FIFA World Cup on the African continent, Kopanya’s unusual design was inspired by Ndebele artwork.

The complex shapes and black contours are traditional Ndebele elements, and have been fused with the colourful vibrancy that typifies modern Ndebele artists. A silver sheen provides a futuristic touch.

According to the Adidas website , “The design honors 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.”

Popularity: 23% [?]