Aside from the estimated 500 million television viewers around the world, many flocked to FIFA Fan Fests™ and other public viewing areas both in South Africa and abroad.

Over 100,000 people attended the six international FIFA Fan Fests, more than half of those in Mexico City. In South Africa, nine of the ten Fan Fests were filled to capacity attracting 300,000 people in total.

At Elkah Stadium, the official FIFA Fan Fest in Soweto, 40,000 fans gathered to celebrate the first game of the 2010 FIFA World Cup. As the whistle blew to begin play on the pitch a cacophany of sound emanated from the fans. The World Cup had officially started.

In Thokoza Park, a public viewing area near Elkah Stadium, thousands of residents stood dancing, blowing their vuvuzelas and waving South African flags. “I am so happy this day has arrived,” said Matthew Jabula. “We are the lucky generation, it feels so great to be out with everyone celebrating South Africa’s World Cup, fly the flag high!”

John Kretlow is from the USA, but for the opening game he was supporting Mexico in Thokoza Park. “We were the only Mexico fans in the crowd I think,” said Kretlow. “But everyone was super nice and wanted to know where we were from and get to know us.”

Kretlow travelled to the 2006 FIFA World Cup in Germany but has never experienced anything like the South African football spirit. “I’ve never seen anything like it. The people here really know how to live it, it’s totally different, I’ve never seen so much excitement in my life.”

The tournament may have kicked off in Johannesburg but Cape Town certainly showed how the Mother City can throw a party – in both the Fan Fests and the Green Point stadium which hosted France vs Uruguay.

Cape Town crowds exploded at the Grand Parade, which is host to the FIFA Fan Fest, as 18,000 people watched Bafana Bafana and Mexico open the first match. And after the final whistle the crowds made their way toward Green Point stadium for Cape Town’s opening match.

A French supporter, who introduced himself as Jacques, said “I’ve been here for three days and I’m very impressed` with what I’ve seen. The stadium looks beautiful and I hope my team wins tonight and tomorrow at the rugby,” he said referring to the rugby match between France and South Africa on 12 June.

Nobody seems to know the reason why England has only won one World Cup despite that they have always had big time talented players.

In 2002 when they were coached by Sven Goran Eriksson they were sent home in round 16 by Brazil, who was coached by Felipao Scolari at the time.

Coincidently, in the European championship in 2004 and in the World Cup 2006 they were eliminated by Portugal, which was also coached by Scolari.

In my opinion England was missing a top winning coach, now they have it in Fabio Capello. The Italian is the kind of coach that wins every tournament he coaches.

He has won the UEFA Champions League with AC Milan, plus multiple Serie A titles with Milan, Juventus and AS Roma –he gave Roma their first title in 18 years, plus a couple of Spanish titles with Real Madrid.

He is the difference maker now for England, he knows how to win, he knows how to lead and that’s big for this team.

The talent in England was never questioned, the problem was the coaching.  Players like Steven Gerard, Frank Lampard, and Wayne Rooney among others have won European and Premier League championships, now with Capello their chances of getting a World Cup title look a lot better.

A.J. Riot

At Soccer City stadium, host of the World Cup opening and final matches, members of the media were briefed about the level of preparation that has been put in place for fans, ensuring that this is without a doubt a once-in-a-lifetime experience.

Getting to the stadium

Transport is a key consideration for any fan on match day and OC Chief Transport Officer, Skhumbuzo Macozoma, took the attending media through the transport plans for the tournament.

Fans were advised to first investigate the various public transport options, many of which are new or have received substantial upgrades ahead of the tournament, to get to the stadiums. Ellis Park and Soccer City, with their upgraded train stations, were given as examples of how rail in many cases is the best option for fans to get to the stadium.

In some of the bigger cities new bus rapid transport systems have been put in place, which offer safe and affordable transport options to the stadiums. Taxis are also a feasible option.

For cities with adequate space close to the stadiums, park and walk is a good option, allowing fans the freedom to make their own way to the stadium and take a short walk to their seat.

Park and ride, which was a popular option during the FIFA Confederations Cup, will also be in operation at all stadiums. Spectators were reminded to give adequate time to getting in and out of the stadium when using this option on match day.

Fans were encouraged to spread the load across all the options which also include chartered services.

Inside the stadium

OC Security Manager, Mlungisi Ncame, emphasised that the role of security was to create a festive and family mood for all spectators.

He took the fans through what they can expect as they proceed through security checkpoints on match day. At first they will be taken through a baggage search and a visual check of the ticket. From there they will proceed to the electronic ticket scanner where their ticket will be verified. This is where any fraudulent or damaged tickets will be picked up and dealt with accordingly.

Fans were reassured by Spectator Services and Volunteer Manager, Onke Mjo, that volunteers will be on hand to assist them the moment they arrived inside the stadium precinct. There will be 350 spectator services volunteers in Soccer City alone to assist fans with everything from language to getting to their seat.

Fans will be expected to sit in their allocated seats and there is a system in place to deal with fans in the wrong seats. At Soccer City there will be 1000 security guards and 1400 stewards to ensure the safety of everyone in the stadium.

The OC is confident that the guarantee made by the South African government to FIFA in 2003 with regard to security is still valid and has no reason to be concerned by terrorism threats.

The gates to the stadiums will be open three hours before each match and fans were urged to be in the stadium precinct by this time. Gates open four hours before for the opening match in order for fans to be seated before the 14h00 opening ceremony start.

Fan Parks

As an alternative to going to the stadium, the FIFA Fan Fests™ – which will show the football live on big screens – were also discussed, with FIFA Marketing’s Carl Monteiro taking the media through the locations.

• Johannesburg – InnesFree Park (Sandton), Elkah stadium (Soweto)
• Cape Town – Grand Parade
• Tshwane/Pretoria – Centurion Cricket ground
• Durban – New Beach
• Nelson Mandela Bay/Port Elizabeth – St George’s Park Cricket Grounds
• Mangaung/Bloemfontein – Mangaung Outdoor Sports Centre
• Nelspruit – Bergvlam High School
• Polokwane – Polokwane Cricket Club
• Rustenburg – Fields College School

Entrance to the FIFA Fan Fests™ will be free of charge, with the gates opening at 10h00 on match day. Live entertainment and food and drinks will be available before and after the matches.

For everything fans need to know about the 2010 FIFA World Cup, download the OC’s Official FIFA World Cup Fan Guide by clicking on the link on the right.

source : www.fifa.com

However, he is best remembered for his role in the 2006 FIFA World Cup™. The playmaker led France to a showdown against Italy, scoring against Spain and Portugal on the way. After converting a penalty to give France the lead it looked like his career was set to end on a high – until he was sent off for a headbutt on Italian goalscorer Marco Materazzi.

Zidane also starred for France when they won the FIFA World Cup on home soil in 1998. The midfielder scoring twice with headers as Les Bleus defeated Brazil 3-0 in the Final.

source : www.fifa.com

Hosts South Africa will play a 2010 FIFA World Cup™ warm-up match against Jamaica in Germany on Wednesday, the national football association said.

A statement said the hastily arranged game would be staged at the Offenbach Kickers Stadium in Frankfurt [1830 GMT] and comes as a welcome boost to a Bafana squad battling to find suitable opposition.

The side, which has been training in Germany since early April with home-based players, was due to face China Wednesday after a 0-0 draw against fellow FIFA World Cup qualifiers North Korea.

But the Chinese withdrew from the fixture last Friday, citing travel problems in the aftermath of the European airspace closure crisis after volcanic ash drifted south from Iceland.

It will be the second game between Bafana Bafana and the Reggae Boyz of Jamaica in five months following a goalless draw in Bloemfontein last November.

South Africa return to Johannesburg at the end of this week, resume camp on 5 May and play friendlies against Colombia and Denmark before facing Mexico in the 11 June opening match of the World Cup.

source : www.fifa.com

Toni has featured little since Lippi came back to the helm following Italy’s quarter-final exit at the UEFA EURO 2008 two years ago.

And after being frozen out at Bayern Munich over the first half of the season his chances of a FIFA World Cup call up seemed to have disappeared. But a loan move to the Italian capital as helped rejuvenate not just the 32-year-old but also his chance of heading to South Africa, although he recognises that there is a lot of competition for the striker positions.

“There’s many of us in contention for the Italy shirt, Lippi already has his ideas on his squad. I hope to go, he knows me well,” said Toni. “I’ve had some good games and I’ve got my form back. If I do go it will be a dream, otherwise I’ll still be supporting Italy.”

As for his club future, Toni admitted he doesn’t know where he will be playing next season. He has made it clear he would like to stay in Rome and reiterated that as long as Luis van Gaal is the Bayern coach, he cannot see a future in Bavaria.

“I have to think about finishing the last three games on a high. I’ve still got a contract with Bayern, my relationship with the club is very good but if van Gaal stays it will be difficult for me to do so,” he said. “We’ll get together around a table and decide what’s best for everyone. They helped me a lot in coming to Rome and I have to thank them for that.”

source : www.fifa.com

Rooney, currently out of action with a groin injury, is widely regarded as being central to England’s chances of winning the 2010 FIFA World Cup later this year.

“I’m good,” the 24-year-old Rooney told guests at the PFA dinner at the Grosvenor House Hotel in central London. “I’m disappointed to miss a couple of games. Hopefully I will play before the season finishes.”

Asked if he’d be fit in time for South Africa, Rooney replied: “No problems for the World Cup.” Rooney dismissed suggestions England could not win the FIFA World Cup, which starts in June, without him: “We’ve got a lot of great players. If I get injured, so be it.” He added: “Watching games is very frustrating.”

Rooney, asked what would constitute a successful FIFA World Cup for England, said: “Success would be to win the trophy. We prepared well and hopefully we can bring the trophy back home.” England have won the FIFA World Cup just once, in 1966 when they triumphed on home soil.

Reigning champions United trail Chelsea by one point in the English Premier League title race with two games remaining and may need a favour from arch rivals Liverpool if they are to overtake the London club. “I’m sure Liverpool will want to beat Chelsea,” Rooney said. “They are a proud club and they are still aiming to qualify for Europe.”

Asked what had made the difference to a season where he has already scored 34 goals, Rooney replied: “The manager (Sir Alex Ferguson) is playing me in a more central position up front which I’ve been asking him to do for a few years now and the service has got better.

source : www.fifa.com

Stoke City’s Danish international goalkeeper Thomas Sorensen could miss the 2010 FIFA World Cup™ after dislocating his elbow during his team’s 7-0 Premier League mauling at Chelsea on Sunday.

Sorensen suffered the injury when he collided with Salomon Kalou as the Chelsea player slotted home the second goal of a hat-trick at Stamford Bridge.

“He has definitely dislocated his elbow,” said Stoke manager Tony Pulis. “We are hoping they can just pop it back in without him needing an operation. If he needs an operation he will be struggling for the World Cup.”

Sorensen was stretchered off and replaced by Asmir Begovic after the 31st-minute collision.

Denmark finished top of their World Cup qualifying group, ahead of Portugal and Sweden, with just one defeat in 10 matches.

They have been drawn in Group E in South Africa, alongside the Netherlands, Japan and Cameroon, with their opening game being against the Dutch on 14 June.

source : www.fifa.com

San Marino conceded an astonishing 47 goals in their qualifying campaign for this year’s FIFA World Cup South Africa™. The minnows, who are officially ranked 202nd in the world by FIFA – lost all 10 qualifiers they played, scored just one goal in the process and were thrashed 10-0 by Poland in Kielce.

They are currently even with Anguilla, Montserrat, American Samoa, Central African Republic and Papua New Guinea at the foot of the FIFA/Coca-Cola World Rankings with zero points.

However, San Marino do have the honour of scoring the fastest goal in FIFA World Cup qualifying history when Davide Gualtieri netted after just 8.3 seconds against England in November 1993, although they lost the match 7-1.

source : www.fifa.com

The Koreans flew from their Spanish base for the game in Germany between the lowest ranked teams of the 32 qualifiers for the first world finals to be hosted by Africa.

The goalless outcome was no surprise as South Africa, who lacked unavailable Europe-based stars like midfielders Steven Pienaar of Everton and captain Aaron Mokoena of Portsmouth, have struggled to score.  Bafana Bafana (The Boys) managed just one goal in a home draw with minnows Namibia last month and it took a sizzling Siphiwe Tshabalala drive to force a similar result away to Paraguay later in March.

source : www.fifa.com