Vuvuzela South Africa

Bafana Bafana vs France in Mangaung, Bloemfontein may be one of the most emotional games in the 2010 World Cup for South Africans.

Bafana Bafana vs France Pay Back Time for 3- Loss in 1998

On 12 June 1998 France beat Bafana Bafana 3 -0 at the Stade Vélodrome in Marseille in front of a crowd of 55,077. The France goals were scored by Dugarry 34′,Issa 77′ , and Henry 90′. France went on to win the World Cup that year!

Today, in Bloemfontein at the 45 000 seater Free State Stadium Bafana Bafana believe it is pay back time! And they will do so with flags, vuvuzelas and a Bafana Bafana team that they believe might just still pull it off.

World Cup Group A Clashes

The host nation face a crucial World Cup Group A clash in Bloemfontein later today, where they need to win by more than two goals and hope for a winning result in the group’s other fixture which will be played simultaneously between Mexico and Uruguay at the Royal Bafokeng Stadium in Rustenburg. Kick off for both matches is 16H00.

The impending early exit of the host nation, and the impact on the World Cup, has been overshadowed in the last days by a French player strike over the expulsion of Nicolas Anelka, who refused to apologise for allegedly swearing at his coach.

Bafana World Cup Performance

Bafana’s performance in the two World Cup matches has not been bad, but it has not been that great either. Holding Mexico to a draw in the excitement and intensity of the opening ceremony at Soccer City was  quite a feat, but the fact is that the South African team  has scored one goal in two outings at the 2010 World Cup. Even more worrying is the fact that the team created very little against Uruguay and looked lost for inspiration. They just seemed to be treading water.

Parreira Criticism

Head Coach Carlos Alberto Parreira has received more than a share of criticism for his unimaginative 4-2-3-1 formation, an approach that has become the de facto standard for teams as diverse as Germany and the Netherlands., who have attacking midfields to pull off this formation.

But maybe it is not our formation that is wrong, it is the players. Not that the players are not talented. However, remember, Parreira has only has a few months to work with these boys. It all goes back to grassroots football development.

Five Changes in the Bafana Bafana Team

The Bafana coach announced yesterday that he was going to make five changes to the Bafana Bafana team for the match against France. “I’m going to talk to the players tonight (Monday) and announce my changes tomorrow. I have already had training with the team that should play. In all there will be five (changes) including the two that have been red carded and yellow carded.”

Possible Solutions for Bafana Bafana

I have spoken to many experts and loyal supporters and they all seem to agree that Bafana needs at least two strikers up front. We just do not have the right midfield to play with a single striker.”

Bafana need to play an attacking game, maybe with Bernard Parker coming from the midfield while you have Nomvete and Mphela as outright strikers.

This way you can put France’s defence under pressure and they will start making mistakes

But unless we create chances and opportunities, unless Bafana start playing creatively, we will end up with the situation of two players isolated up front. Just throwing in an extra attacker does not resolve the original problem, which is – creating chances. Bafana could find themselves in a situation where instead of one man isolated up front, there will be two.

Khune and Dikgacoi Out on Suspension

Meanwhile all the players have been declared fit and are available for selection except for goalkeeper Itumeleng Khune and midfielder Kagisho Dikgacoi who are both serving a one-match suspension

Images by Sbu Ndlovu taken at a Bafana Bafana vs Zimbabwe match at Moses Mabhida Stadium Durban

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Germany supporter Kevin Joo celebrated his birthday on Tuesday by blowing his vuvuzela and cheering his heart out as the Germany knocked four past a hapless Australian team. Photograph by Matthew Savides

A couple of months ago I wrote an article predicting that the vuvuzela would become the icon of the 2010 World Cup … little did I know!

This was round about the time we had a bit of a too and fro about the actual origins and ownership of the vuvuzela.

I have always enjoyed going to football matches with my vuvzela and I collect them, as I’ve mentioned. We had a few moans during the 2009 Confederations Cup, where they were out in full force, but I don’t think we ever anticipated this barrage of hatred, ridicule, xenophobia, racism and abuse.

Singing in the Stadiums

If people want to sing in the stadiums, nothing is stopping them, but it looks to me as if they are all blowing vuvuzelas – and I’m not talking about South Africans.  We have only played in two matches – and the true South African Soccer fans can’t afford tickets to World cup matches – they watch them at home or at fan parks or in tavern or shebeens in the townships where nobody minds if they blow their vuvuzelas.

The problem with the World Cup and the allocation of tickets in that fans are very seldom seated in a block, they are dispersed around huge stadiums, so it isn’t really easy to get a song going. Even the national anthems one can hardly hear.

So it is very much a case of logistics as well.

Vuvuzela Apps and Stuff

What is amusing me is all the Internet stuff that is happening. For those who don’t have time of logistics to go out and buy a vuvuzela, I’ve found another page www.zela.it . Take a look. push the button and you’;ll have the sound of vuvuzelas with you all the time.

You can also Vuvuzela-ize any site on the web with Vuvuzela Time. This means you won’t ever have to be without the vuvuzela sound at your desktop again. And you can browse the web as if you are at the 2010 World Cup without even having to go out and buying a vuvuzela.

Then there is the Vuvuzela for iPhone that is being downloaded all over the world.

Block the Noise Out

South African soccer fans who want to watch vuvuzela free football can do it as easily as 1.2.3 (I read this in last weeks Daily News)

• Enter sound settings for your TV and fine the equaliser
• Drop the 300Hz channel and raise adjacent channels
• Save as a custom set up (if you can)

And for UK fans, the BBC is investigating whether it can transmit a Vuvuzela-free” version of the BBC coverage.

But you know, like it of hate it, the vuvuzela is here to stay.

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Join in the 2010 World Cup fun and get your Vuvuzela for iPhone.

Virtual Vuvuzela

This virtual vuvuzela will make you imagine you are in a crowd of passionate African football fans, cheering their team and celebrating the beautiful game. So download your free Vuvuzela 2010 the only vuvuzela app for the iPod Touch and iPhone.

There is a warning, though, the use of the 2010 Vuvuzela for iPhone could just become addictive.

Popularity: 9% [?]

I have found a link to the most awesome 2010 World Cup match schedule / calendar / teams / matches.

The Interactive graphic is in Spanish and English and depicts Match Schedules fro the days from 11 June to 11 July.

Other sections features cities and stadiums; national teams; groups and stages.

Take a look and enjoy this interactive World Cup Schedule.

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Sky has announced three limited edition Sky+HD boxes. Designed by Wayne Hemingway, Gerald Scarfe and Phil Daniels, the 1TB HD+ PVRs celebrate the forthcoming 2010 FIFA World Cup.

Every World Cup Game Available in HD

As terrestrial broadcasters have the rights to the tournament Sky will not be broadcasting any of the matches on its sports channels, but it does have both BBC HD and ITV HD integrated into its schedules, so every World Cup game will be available in high definition.

Limited Edition Set Top Boxes

Designer Wayne Hemingway celebrates 1966 with his set top box, – England’s only World Cup win. Illustrator Gerald Scarfe portrays a creepy football-headed fan, also in ’66 vintage red. Actor, Phil Daniels, turns to his time in South Africa filming Zulu Dawn for colourful inspiration of African design and flags.

These limited edition 1TB Sky+HD set top boxes, will be arriving in late May, so you’ll have plenty of time to get yourself set up before the first whistle blows  for kickoff at Soccer City in Johannesburg, South Africa on 11 June. (Cost £250)

Popularity: 2% [?]