Vuvuzela South Africa

Get your Vuvuzela for the World Cup Final

Spain and Netherlands – two teams that have never won a World Cup before, will meet to be crowned the winner – also the first team to win a World Cup on African soil.

Both teams have thrilled soccer lovers across the world over the past few days.  Matched  against two-time world champions Uruguay and three-time winners Germany in the last four, the Oranje and La Roja won through in Cape Town and Durban respectively and will now square off at Johannesburg’s Soccer City Stadium, with the winners becoming only the eighth nation to claim the coveted crown.  (See Transport arrangements – Getting to Soccer City)

Netherlands vs Spain

Over the next few days the pundits are going to be  …well punditing and theories are going to be flying around concerning the 2010 FIFA World Cup Final between Netherlands and Spain that will take place at Soccer City in Johannesburg on 11 July at 20.30 (local time). The showdown at Soccer City will be the Netherlands’ third Final appearance and Spain’s first. So you better buy your red or orange vuvuzelas and get ready for the Final.

Netherlands – Unbeaten Run

We know that Bert van Marwijk’s Oranje boys play a very efficient brand of football that has brought them an unbeaten run of 25 games. And if they win the World Cup final, they will be able to claim the cachet of being only the second team to follow up a 100 per cent record in qualifying by winning each and every game at the final tournament. The only side to do so previously was the legendary Brazil squad of Mexico 1970.

Paul the Psychic Octopus

In many quarters Spain has always been regarded the World Cup favourite. We have not has any reports yet from Paul the Psychic Octopus, but he picked Spain over his “homeboys” Germany for the Semi-finals and after all, are the reigning European champions.

La Roja must have their tails up after eliminating the fiery German side, so the question is: Can Vicente del Bosque’s classy, short-passing side become the first national team to follow up UEFA European Championship success with a global triumph since West Germany in 1974?

Golden Boot -  David Villa vs Wesley Snijder

A very intriguing subplot looking ahead to the Netherlands-Spain Final will the battle between Dutch attacking midfielder Wesley Snijder and Spanish hitman David Villa for the adidas Golden Boot. Both the Inter Milan creator and Barcelona’s newly signed forward are on five goals apiece.

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Paul, the Psychic Octopus who predicted five straight Germans wins, has predicted a Spain win for the 2010 World Cup Semi Final Germany vs Spain in Durban tonight.

Superstitious German Fans

Superstitious German fans are distraught at Paul the Octopus‘ predictions. According to the New York Times “Paul’s handlers claim that he has correctly predicted the outcome of each of Germany’s five World Cup matches this year, so when he decided not to eat a mussel in a box decorated with the German flag after it was lowered into his tank this morning, the nation took note. With news crews from around the world recording his every move, Paul instead lowered a tentacle into a box bearing the flag of Germany’s opponent in Wednesday’s match, Spain.”

I believe that overnight Germany’s favorite dis went from bratwurst to calamari!

Paul the Octopus almost Picked Germany

Perhaps most agonizing for German fans is that Paul momentarily hovered over the his home country’s box before slithering sideways to munch on the mussel representing Spain. Even as he picked the Spaniards to win, Paul still showed his affection for Germany by dangling several tentacles over the German box while he scarfed down the Spanish snack. Scroll down for photos and video of the sage of the sea making his bold pick and enjoying his tasty treat, says Huffington Post

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With World Cup fever having embraced us for almost a month, -  not even Gandalf escaped as the vuvuzela descended into Middle Earth. so what happens when ti gets into  the world of video games? Vuvuzela in Doom

Okay, so it’s probably just a re-skinned chaingun, but it’s pretty funny. Check it out . Just be sure to turn the volume down first if you have sensitive ears. But to be fair to the vuvuzela, it sounds much prettier in a stadium when thousands are buzzing and fans are dressed in their team colour and jumping up and down.

You can even play it yourself. Download the wad (Requires ZDOOM or a ZDOOM-Compatible port, such as GZDOOM or Skulltag.

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One day, long long ago Gandalf decided to go to the World Cup. Have a look at the video – The fellowship of the vuvuzela! Middle Earth is preparing for the World Cup.

Who would have guessed that the humble vuvuzela would have traveled from the scorching plains of Africa all the way to Middle earth. Well then, you never know…

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The Biggest Football on the planet stands an impressive 15 m high. Mr. Robert Molloy, adjudicator and Director of Television Guinness World Records, has confirmed it as the world’s biggest football.

Based on the Telstar ball of the 1970 FIFA World Cup, it is almost 70 times the size and 1,500 times heavier than the Jabulani ball says goal.com

Guinness World Records

To enter the Guinness World Records the ball needed to conform to certain specifications: it must be inflatable and deflatable, be able to roll and be kicked, and must be an exact replica of an official FIFA match ball. In other words, it has to do all the things that a regular soccer ball can do.

“Fortunately Guinness gave some leniency when it came to the materials – we did not have to manufacture the ball out of shoe laces and leather panels but were allowed to use PVC instead,” said Stefan Vermaak of Information SA, the specialist marketing company commissioned to run the Emperors Palace and Kia big ball project, at the event.

“This ball is a real replica that, despite its size, moves and looks like an Adidas Telstar ball,” he said at the event.

The colossal ball that rests on the enormous Chariots Fountain next to the D’oreale Grande Hotel has already become a draw card for Emperors Palace, where the display forms part of the entertainment complex FIFA World Cup viewing zone.

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