Vuvuzela South Africa

Ok this might sound a bit weird, but it could also be cool – like sweet and sour, you know – so why don’t you write haiku for the 2010 World Cup?

Most people don’t really think of soccer an poetry in the same thought cloud, but the Football Haiku World Project says:

“we want to publish beautiful poetry written by you to accompany the beautiful game. Please do not worry if you do not consider yourself to be a writer or a poet: the beauty of haiku is its simplicity, universality and flexibility. Whoever you are around the world, we would love to hear your voice in haiku form.”

To send them football haiku written by you, please contact enter.haiku@gmail.com

You can find the Haiku World Cup Project at Facebook or Twitter or YouTube. You can also join the Facebook Fanpage

So What is Haiku?

Haiku is a form of Japanese poetry. In Japanese, haiku are traditionally printed in a single vertical line, while haiku in English usually appear in three lines, to parallel the three phrases of Japanese haiku.

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Tomorrow at 9 am (Friday 27 May) we will celebrate a Football Friday like no other when around 90 000 additional World Cup tickets go on sale to the public.

All Current Sales Channels

These World Cup tickets will be on sale tomorrow across all 64 matches, including the Final, the Opening Game and the two Semi-Finals. In total there are about 160,000 tickets still available for the public via the current sales channels (FIFA.com, Call Centre, Ticketing Centres, FNB Branches and Shoprite/Checkers).

34,000 of these tickets are available in category 4 (the most affordable for South African residents only), 28,000 in category 3, 23,000 in category 2 and 75,000 in category 1. “For the Final there are only about 800 tickets left, but for other matches it’s up to a few thousands”, explained FIFA Secretary General Jérôme Valcke on fifa.com

Check out the World Cup ticketing availabilty as of 27 May 2010.

Buy World Cup tickets online

FIFA Ticketing Centre Locations

2010 FIFA World Cup Match Schedule

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There is no doubt that the Vuvuzela (stadium horn) is destined to become the icon of the 2010 World Cup. I can’t even think of all the things it has been called, but it is a colorful plastic trumpet.

Blow a Vuvuzela

South African soccer fans blow the Vuvuzela at soccer matches to support their teams, to encourage the players, to show their displease and just to have a jorl ( South African slang for have a blast).

The Vuvuzela had been much maligned, especially by some Europeans after the Confederations Cup who called for the banning of the Vuvuzela at the 2010 World Cup. Not long after that, the  Vuvuzela was banned in Austria because soccer officials believed it was dangerous – as in people attack each other with it!

Bafana Bafana vs Japan

And then the South African National team, Bafana Bafana played a friendly against Japan  – and the poor Japanese team – wanted to have the Vuvuzela banned -their delicate ears were also offended by  “the noisy plastic trumpet”.

But fortunately we have FIFA head honcho Sepp Blatter on our side – who has been so consistent from the getgo that this will be an African World Cup …and when in Africa…

I often wonder if the developed world isn’t just projecting their feeling on us, the Africans – they also probably find us loud and noisy and embarrassing. Oh and dangerous- not sure whether the German team will be running out in flack jackets or not.

And just when we thought it was all over, the Shembe’s  (Nazareth Baptist Church) decided to claim the Vuvuzela.

USA Soccer Team

The Americans, who caused such a stir at the Confed Cup with their great football, just loved South Africa and their advance teams for the World Cup have come back with glowing reports.

Dutch Supporters

The Dutch supporters are going to be blowing orange vuvuzelas and tons of beaded bracelets from KwaZulu- Natal have been shipped to the Netherlands for local football fans.

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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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