Vuvuzela South Africa

I was really happy when I saw a tweet from FIFAWorldcupSA of a post by The Real Footie Analyst that confirmed my feelings about this issue, that Fifa would not ban the Vuvuzela from the 2010 Soccer World Cup, in spite of the grumblings about noise from mainly European TV commentator and groupings of local dissenters.

According to this blog, which is regarded as a go-to place for all things football :

FIFA have ruled out any action that would remove the vuvuzela from the stadiums at the 2010 World Cup.

And more

“We approach this in a relaxed manner. I am convinced the vuvuzelas will be a hit at the World Cup. It will be a World Cup with African sound,” Hans Klaus, director of communications at FIFA, told reporters on Friday.

Popularity: 9% [?]

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: 4% [?]

Blowing the Vuvuzela on Durban Beachfront

A Vuvuzela is a plastic trumpet like object, about a meter long that South Africa soccer fans blow at football games. The sound has been describes a “swarm of angry bees” a” terrible noise” but we agree with the millions of African football fans who are gearing up for the FIFA 2010 Soccer World Cup, that the Vuvu (for short) produces A beautiful noise for The beautiful Game!

Yes, the recent Confederation Cup produced a bit of a firestorms over our  Vuvuzela’s with some of the European RTV stations calling for a ban on the Vuvus.

Committed soccer blogger Road to 2010 World Cup Final has a neutral point of view – “They’re just a part of the game in South Africa. But ban them, you say … hmm … You know what? Let me think on that one …

Popularity: 6% [?]