Bhoops

The last games in the group stages of the World Cup begin today. The last two games in each group kick off simultaneously to eliminate collusion between teams in ascertaining which teams go through to the next round or not. Four matches shall be played each day till Friday when the group stages of the World Cup shall be completed. The games are played in two time slots, the one at 16hoo and the other at 20h30 South African time. The first two games today involve the group A teams. South Africa play France in Bloemfontein and Uruguay play Mexico in Rustenberg. Uruguay and Mexico are the teams favoured to go through to the next round. Both France and South Africa would require unusual results in the Uruguay Mexico match to see them through to the next stage of the tournament. The scene was thus set for the events that transpired during the course of today.       The French Sports Minister who was in South Africa was instructed by her president to meet with the team and sort out their pr

                           Portuguese fans celebrated at the Waterfront after their team won 7-0 against North Korea.                                                                                         fans came in large and small sizes The Jabulani ball at the Waterfront reflected the names of the respective teams playing at the Cape Twon stadium on match days.

The Portuguese have a strong fan base and following. Like the English, the Portuguese team has phenomenal support here in South Africa. Unlike the English, they are not as imposing. This fan base is characterised by their colourful attire that they wear on game days. They overwhelm by the sheer colour of their costumes. Red and green is a very distinctive combination. The Portuguese arrived in Cape Town today for their afternoon match with North Korea. The team’s initial draw with the Ivory Coast had the pundits worried about this team’s progress in the World Cup. Of special concern was the poor goal scoring form of chief player, Ronaldo. There was considerable concern over this team. For the first half of the game, Portugal had scored just one goal. The rain had threatened in Cape Town and it began belting down just before the start of the game. The first half was played in very wet conditions. Then the turnaround came in the second half. The Portuguese completely outplayed the Nort

Paraguay beat Slovakia 2 nil, Italy drew 1-1 with the team from New Zealand known as the All Whites and Brazil demolished the Ivory Coast 1-1 in the matches that were played today. The national Sunday newspaper, the Sunday Times elicited a response from previous President, international icon and revered South African, Mr. Nelson Mandela to the effect that the soccer team should make magic in their last group game and that all South Africans should continue with their fervent support of the team. Bafana Bafana is due to play France in their final group stage game. At present it looks like Uruguay and Mexico shall qualify from the Group A participants that includes France and South Africa as well. South Africans are rather subdued about the team’s prospects since the 3-0 result at the hands of the Uruguay team. The computations have been spelt out. The team need to score heavily against France and hope that the match involving the Uruguayans and Mexicans ends lopsided with one team out

The peculiarities associated with any given event are becoming evident in the 2010 World Cup tournament in South Africa.  The controversy over the sound made by the vuvuzela had become a talking point well in advance of the tournament. FIFA dropped its threats against banning the vuvuzela during World Cup games prior to the commencement of the tournament. FIFA did however indicate that the vuvuzela would be banned if any of these instruments were thrown in anger or otherwise on the field of play. This was a real threat as soccer games do sometimes descend into poor sportsmanship with the spectators joining into the fray on and off the field. Thus far, the vuvuzela remains part and parcel of this World Cup. If I have to make a prediction, it is likely to become part of many international sporting events in the future. The controversy over the Jabulani ball developed by Adidas shall also become an idiosyncrasy associated with this World Cup. Adidas assured the soccer fraternity that th

The flags of the participating nations reflecting in the waters of the V&A Waterfront, Cape Town German supporters and one yet to be born This huge English flag straddled the railings at the Waterfront Algerian supporters contemplating the vuvuzela Algerian supporters at the huge Adidas Jabulani ball at the Waterfront.        English supporters everywhere English flags adorning every possible place at the Waterfront One of the Waterfront's famous drinking holes The FIFA exhibit relating to gun violence

This is the eighth day of the 2010 soccer World Cup tournament. England is scheduled to play Algeria in the late match tonight at the Cape Town stadium. Two games were played on day 1 of the tournament, South Africa against Mexico at Soccer City and France against Uruguay at the Cape Town stadium. Since then, three games have been played each day, at 13h30, 16h00 and 20h30, South African local time. Twenty games were completed by last night. Supporting fans arriving in the centre of Cape Town for the matches to be played at the Cape Town stadium congregate at either the Fan fest Park on the Grand Parade or at the Victoria and Alfred Waterfront, before and after scheduled games. They congregate in smaller numbers at various other venues in Cape Town, depending I guess on the amount of yellow liquid is mandatorily consumed before a sporting event. Cape Town has a good number of drinking holes. Long Street is the other favourite area where fans have congregated in Cape Town. The English

I flew back from Johannesburg last night. I was able to watch the South Africa Uruguay game on television. As I alluded to before, staunch South African supporters of the national soccer team Bafana Bafana awoke with a hangover tinged generously with a bout of depression. The politicians were already voicing their call to arms and encouraging the populace to get behind and continue supporting the team. A new angle emerging for the first time to my recollection was the branding of the 16 th June as an unlucky day for South Africa, given the events in 1976 that made this a momentous day in our history. As the day drew to a close, the mammoth task facing the soccer team if they were to qualify for the second round of the tournament. Most persons felt that Bafana had to beat France by 5 nil if they were to succeed. This was not entirely correct. There were various computations including that of the group log leaders Uruguay and Mexico participating in a lopsided match with one team beati

Sandton is the new business hub of South Africa. Invariably fan activities relating to the World Cup begin in Sandton and end there as well. The Nelson Mandela Square at the Sandton City complex is the focal point of team supporters. The Gautrain and the Johannesburg's metro bus service operate in close proximity to this central venue.

The 16 th June of every year is flagged as a historic and momentous day in the recent history of South Africa. In 1976 the scholars of Soweto arose in protest against the education system that was implemented in African schools under the apartheid government and more specifically against the tutoring of Afrikaans as a compulsory language. The 16 th June is associated with the Soweto Township and its contribution to the eventual liberation of South Africa from the apartheid government. It heralds the role that scholars played in the liberation of South Africa. It is against this historic backdrop that South Africa awoke on the 16 th June 2010. The South African soccer team was due to engage the team from Uruguay in its second match of the 2010 soccer world cup. Six days ago, the team had played to a 1-1 draw with Mexico in the opening match of the 2010 soccer world cup. The expectations of the South African public were high, perhaps too high f

                   Power cuts affecting parts of the Ellis Park Stadium including the entrance turnstiles                                                 Brazilian supporters were in the majority                                                     There were some Korean supporters too                                                   Supporters marking out their territories                                                   The bevy of press and media photographers                                                            Brazilian Kaka in the background                                             Icy cold conditions made warm dressing mandatory                                               Brazil's first goal. Note ball in far left net                                                        part of the crowd in attendance

The Johannesburg metro has invested considerable time, money and energy into providing a reasonable transport plan for the World Cup. It looks good on paper. Certain, if not most of the aspects of the transport plan are excellent and work well in practice thus far. It is a pity that the details of this expensive plan are sometimes lost to the end user. I tried to locate the metro bus stop in Sandton to no avail. There were no buses in sight. None of the persons that I asked, most of whom should have known where the rank was, knew. A lot of them had vested interests and were more concerned about securing my ride to Ellis Park stadium with them. Thus, expecting to use the Johannesburg metro bus service from Sandton to Westgate was futile. The advertised cost of R20 per person ended up costing me R130 per person in alternate transport operated by a taxi company called Gautransie or SATS.  To make matters worse, the taxi “organiser” assured us that

This is Monday 14 th June 2010. I awoke to a very noticeable nip in the Johannesburg air. I stepped out to be greeted by a blast of icy cold air. The news coverage indicated that the whole of South Africa was experiencing very cold winter weather conditions. As the day progressed, the icy cold conditions in Johannesburg worsened. Attendance at the match in Soccer City would require very warm clothing. I set off for Soccer City at approximately 09h30. I stopped for breakfast at the Rosebank Mall that is utterly chaotic at present as a result of the construction works going on there as well as to the roads outside the shopping centre. True to the Murphy’s Law principle, serving of breakfast at one of the restaurants was inordinately delayed. I only managed to set off to my Soccer City destination at 11h30. As anticipated, the traffic on the Johannesburg highways had slowed down to a crawl. The Wits University campus park and ride to Soccer City was w

  Spectators awaiting transport to Soccer City at Wits university                  First view of the Soccer City stadium                   The dusty walk to the stadium and the orange clad Netherlands spectators in the stadium                                                          Colourful Dutch spectators                                              satisfied spectators watch the Netherlands team win                                                                     code orange                                                          reflections inside the stadium                                                             awesome Soccer City                                              The stadium, the station and the water reservoir

I awoke to a warm sunny day in Cape Town. The third day of the 2010 World Cup would be underway shortly. Later on this day, Slovenia beat Algeria, Ghana beat Serbia and Germany thrashed Australia 4-0. The murmurings about the Jabulani ball and the sound of the vuvuzela are getting louder. Both, I can predict with certainty are here to stay. For the first time in World Cup history, Africa has six participants in the finals, due to South Africa hosting the event this year. The great Pele of Brazil has commented to the effect that South Africa is incapable of hosting a World Cup. This comment has drawn a sharp rebuke from soccer great, Maradonna who is coaching the Argentina team here. I flew to Johannesburg later in the afternoon. We were met on our arrival with the loud sounds of the Cape Minstrels seeking to inject some atmosphere into a lacklustre Cape Town International airport. The airport was all but quiet. The weather had changed. It was now raining in Cape Town and the tempera

The world cup opening ceremony and opening game has come and gone. At the end of the second day of the tournament and five games completed, the world cup is well and truly into its stride. South Korea and Argentina have thus far won their games, the remaining matches ending in draws. Five of the nine stadiums prepared for the World Cup have been used thus far. The main centres, Soccer City, Johannesburg and Cape Town enjoyed a respite from the activities. I visited the Cape Town Fan Fest Park on the Grand Parade. Cape Town weather at this time of the year does not make outdoor activities pleasant. The rain threatened, but stayed away. This would have been a bonus for those who have had to watch the games at the Fan Fest parks. I am sure that the atmosphere on the opening day in the fan fest parks was far more heightened than it was today. The Grand Parade fan fest park can accommodate approximately 15 000 people. Admission to the park is free. The

The official World Cup steamed into South Africa yesterday. Now with four games completed, the train is leaving the station as fast as Johannesburg's Gautrain. The games moved to Port Elizabeth, Ellis Park and Rustenberg today. Here are some of the pictures from the Fan Fest park in Cape Town.