Vuvuzela South Africa

The Beverly Hills in Umhlanga Rocks where the Greece Team is based.

FIFA  announced the 32 base camps that the 2010 FIFA World Cup finalists will be using earlier this week . amid rumors and grumblings from some coaches about the facilities.

Host Bafana Bafana will be based at the Southern Sun Grayston Hotel in Sandton and train at Sandown High School, north of Johannesburg.

Bafana have two more training camps outside the country, one in Germany and another in Brazil.

The Super Eagles of Nigeria will be based in Hempshire, KZN Dolphin Coast, along with Cameroon who will be based at the Oyster Box close by in Durban. Teams also camping in KwaZulu Natal are Paraguay at Woodridge Country Lodge, Algeria at Zimbali Lodge and Greece at the Beverly Hills Hotel.

Chile is so far the only team which will be based in Mpumalanga at Ingwenyama Conference Centre.

Teams that will be based in the North West include, Korea Republic at the Hunters Rest Hotel, England at the Bafokeng Sports Campus and Spain at the Potchefstroom University (North West Campus).

Bafana’s opponents in Group A, Uruguay, will be the only team with a training camp in the Northern Cape at the Protea Hotel in Kimberley.

Three teams that will have base camps in the Western Cape are Japan at the Fancourt Hotel & Country Club, Denmark at Simola Hotel Country Club and France at Pezula Resort Hotel & Spa.

Gauteng will have the privilege of hosting Netherlands at the Hilton Sandton Hotel, Brazil at the Fairway Hotel, Mexico at Thaba ya Batswana, Honduras at Indaba Hotel, North Korea (Korea DPR) at the Protea Hotel Midrand.

Serbia will be based at the Sunnyside Park Hotel, Australia at the Kloofzicht Lodge, while defending world champions, Italy, will be based at the Leriba Lodge.

USA will be based at Irene Country Lodge, Ivory Coast will be based at Riverside Hotel and Conference Centre, while Switzerland will be based at the Emerald Resort and Casino.

Germany will set up camp at the Velmore Hotel, Portugal at the Alley Hotel, Ghana at the Rhoode Valley, New Zealand at the Serengeti Estate and Slovenia will be based at the Hyde Park Southern Sun Hotel.

However, the list of base camps, according to FIFA, is subject to change.

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On Wednesday 3 March Bafana Bafana will celebrate the 100-day countdown to the 2010 FIFA World Cup at the Moses Mabhida Stadium in Durban with a friendly against Namibia.

100-Day Countdown to 2010 World Cup

In the stands on the 100- day countdown night will be a man who knows what winning is all about. Former Brazilian Captain, Cafu will be in town to attend the dinner at the ICC the previous night, and the match on Wednesday. Cafu twice won the World Cup as captain of the Brazilian side.

Joining him will be a line up of former Bafnan Bafana Players. FIFA President Sepp Blatter will also be in town. March 2 officially marks the 100-day countdown.

Big Screen at Moses Mabida

Overseas-based Players in Bafana Bafana Squad

Bafana Bafana coach Carlos Parreira has included some overseas-based players when he announced his squad to face Namibia. The international friendly encounter will be played on Wednesday, 03 March at the Moses Mabhida Stadium in Durban. Kick off is at 20h30.

“It’s a profound gesture for us; to celebrate 100 days before the World Cup demonstrates how close we are to the event, and we are glad to be participating in the proceedings. But over and above that this match comes at a time when the leagues around the world are at a crucial stage; so we have tried not to disrupt the club’s programs too much. At most we have taken three from each team but still keeping with the core of our squad. This is a chance to see some players more – like defender Bryce Moon ; who I haven’t seen in a Bafana Bafana jersey in a long time and also because he will not be able to travel to Brazil and Germany with us,” said Parreira on the Safa website.

But the coach was quick to point out that it does not mean that the players who are not in this team have lost their places in the squad for the World Cup.

“No, even though I have a good idea of what my final squad will look like, there are still places up for grabs, so I still have to see other players as we enter the final road of our preparations,” added Parreira.

Bafana Bafana Squad
BARON Emille (GK)
DAVIDS Lance
CARNELL Bradley
FRANSMAN Bevan
GOULD Morgan
JALI Andile
KHUBONI Thanduyise
KHUNE Itumeleng (GK)
KLATE Daine
LETSHOLONYANE Reneilwe
MODISE Teko
MOKOENA Lebohang
MOON Bryce
MPHELA Katlego
NGCONGCA Anele
SANGWENI Siyabonga
SEGOLELA Tlou
SERERO Thulani
THWALA Lucas
TOM Mzivukile
TSHABALALA Siphiwe
XULU Siyanda

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My obsession with Moses Mabhida Stadium has taken me and my camera there in all kinds of weather – yesterday the weather was grey and every now and they it was drizzling, but Durban’s 2010 World Cup Stadium still took my breath away, like it does, every time I look at it through my lens.

People’s Park

I first jumped out of the car on the bridge that crosses highway to take some pics across the People’s Park with the oval walking track that is being constructed- they have cleared all that rubbish and railway yard stuff, and the actual track is taking shake in front of the stadium in the Kings Park Sporting Precinct.

Moses Mabhida Stadium from the Beach

Then we drove to the Kings Park Pool and I climbed up on to the stand to take some pics from there and took some from the parking area. From the stands I saw how far the progress was with the pedestrian walkway from the Moses Mabidha Stadium through the underground tunnel under the freeway to the beach – so we drove around to the beach to take pics from that side.

The Stadium is so close to the beach – I can just imagine fans,, swarming out after a game and down to a beach for a beach party.

Opening of Moses Mabhida Stadium

Next thing to look forward to is the opening of the Moses Mabhida stadium in under a month. I’m trying to work all my connections so that I can be there. I want to go with a team and live-blog the whole event.

Want to see inside the Moses Mabidha Stadium?

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This might not be the hottest match with both the South African Team and the Serbian Team missing star players and neither team having had much preparation time, but still tonight’s match between Bafana Bafana and the White Eagles will give everyone something to think about as teams start winding up their 2010 FIFA World Cup campaigns.

Serbia Coach Radomic Antic Confident

Serbia coach Radomir Antic was adamant the single workout  yesterday was enough to shape up his 14th-ranked team ahead of tonight’s encounter at Super Stadium in Pretoria (7pm), and backed his young squad to do well in the absence of established stalwarts Nemanja Vidic and Dejan Stankovic. In the absence of Stankovic, Serbia will be captained by Valencia midfielder Nikola Zigic.

Serbia, nicknamed Beli Orlovi (White Eagles), look almost certain to qualify for the World Cup, holding an eight-point lead over powerhouses France in Group 7 of the UEFA Qualifying Zone.

Coach Joel Santana on the Bench

Meanwhile, South African Coach Joel Santana  who was detained in Brazil with acute pneumonia, landed in the country yesterday and went straight to camp to take over the team.

Bafana Bafana assistant coaches Pitso Mosimane and Julio Leal announced the squad last week and Golden Arrows striker Richard Henyekane, who was the top scorer in the 2008/09 Absa Premiership, is the only uncapped player in the team.

The technical team has kept faith with the majority of the players who did duty in the 2009 Confederations Cup, though Siphiwe Tshabalala and Bernard Parker are missing through injury.

Santana’s charges established a feeling of confidence with their performances in the recent Confederations Cup and have reassured the nation that 2010 is not a lost cause for the national side.

Bafana Bafana Need a Striker

However, Bafana Bafana would do well to not be too confident against the Serbian team. We still need strikers and all eyes tonight are going to be on  Golden Arrows’ top striker Richard Henyekane, the new cap,  who will finally get the chance to show that he is able play at the same level on the international stage.

(It would be nice it they took a look next time at someone like Fanteni from Orlando Pirates).

Pictures: Richard Henyekane. Football365.co.za

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I thought I should take a quick look at the Serbia National Football Team, the White Eagles, who are due to meet Bafana Bafana in a friendly in Pretoria on Wednesday 12 August.

Well Serbia’s Home stadium is Stadion Crvena Zvezda, Belgrade and their Head coach, Radomir Antic.  According to Oleole, their top goal scorer is Savo Milošević with 35 goals.

Serbia National Football Team

The Serbia national football team was previously known as the Yugoslavia national football team until February 2003 and the Serbia and Montenegro national football team until June 2006 when Serbia declared independence as the successor state to the State Union of Serbia and Montenegro. It was renamed the Serbia national football team on 28 June 2006.

On August 16, 2006 the new team, representing Serbia played its first international match, with a 3-1 away win against the Czech Republic.

Serbia Participated in 10 FIFA World Cup Competitions

Serbia came fourth in 1930 and 1962 in the FIFA World Cup and has made 10 appearances. At present Serbia are at the top of their Group 7,  2010 FIFA World Cup group with 18 points from seven matches -  eight ahead of 2006. According to Fifia. com France is tipped as the winner of the group with Romania next. Serbia is the outsider :

Serbia, who are competing in an international tournament for the first time on their own, having separated from Montenegro last year, enjoyed an impressive qualifying campaign for the European Championships and only lost two of their 14 games, finishing on 24 points, four behind group winners Poland and three behind Portugal. Serbia’s competitiveness was shown by the fact that they remained unbeaten in all four games against the two group principals; their only defeats coming away to Belgium and Kazakhstan.

The Serbia Squad has been reshuffled ahead of their World Cup qualifier with France next month. According to Yahoo News Canada, Coach Antic

… left out wingers Bosko Jankovic and Miralem Suljemani, captain Dejan Stankovic and Nenad Milijas.

And included uncapped goalkeeper Zeljko Brkic as well as midfielders Radosav Petrovic and Marko Milinkovic for the match against the 2010 World Cup hosts.

Win Tickets to the Bafana Bafana vs Serbia Game

You can win double tickets to the Bafana Bafana vs Serbia Game on the Official Bafana Bafana Supporters Page on Facebook.

Picture: Serbia National Football Team from oleole

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