No, you are not dreaming!  And no, unlike some other authors, I am not making up facts to suit my story!!

At Newlands, on Thursday, the South African National Under 20 side beat Brazil Under 20's.  That is great news, and good for the future of Bafana Bafana, and hopefully it will give the National side some hope for the World Cup.  Ghana, the current under 20 World Champions, and Nigeria also played in this Football Fesitval 

Today, Saturday, the action switches to Cape Town Stadium.  South Africa play Nigeria, and Brazil try to retain some dignity by seeking revenge from the team that beat them in the Under 20 final.

This is (possibly...) the final test event for Cape Town stadium prior to the FIFA event.  It is being run like a FIFA event, with the same security, and also, critically it is the first event to be played at night and using all the levels.  The previous events only used the lower tiers, but tonight, the hope is that the R20 tickets will mean something like 65,000 people will attend to give the stadium a realistic test.  R20 to see 2 international football matches, including the reigning world champions, Brazil, Nigeria, and, of course, the home side.  Bargain!

It also allows some intersting features to be tested; few people know this, but both the changing rooms can be divided down the middle with a concertina wall, to give 4 changing rooms.  Nothing too special about that...apart from the wall is completely soundproofed.  It is amazing, you can shout and scream in one half, and nothing heard at all on the other side.  Which is quite impressive for a light, moveable wall.  Of course, all the showers, treatment rooms, etc., are also doubled up.

I shall be at the event (as I hope all Cape Town based MyDL'ers will be!).  I will take some more photos, and stick them up here, after the event, & through Twitter (@AccessAfrica) as the event goes on.  Thankfully, the autumn rain from yesterday has gone, and the sun is shining in the Fairest Cape...

This year should have been great, 2010 viva world cup. We should have been preparing for the party of the decade. Even the ANC could have come out more popular than ever, with then virst JZ started with his sexing it up campaign, but now Julius Malema has spoiled it for all of us. Now all we can talk abou is him. We have a very appropriate saying in south africa Julius Malema is a drol in die drinkwater.

For the people from the oversees that translates to julius malema is the turd/crap in the drinking water (town well)

He is spoiling the thing everybody else is dependant on. poepol




The media reporters should have walked out when he removed that imperialist pig jonah from the BBC. Why were the other reporters such sissies? Malema should receive no more coverage.boicot the bastard

According to the following article on Sport24.co.za, Iran's girls football team has been kicked out of the Youth Olympic Games because FIFA rules prevent players wearing an Islamic head scarf.

Note that in principle I am not a supporter of anything Fifa does at all.  I am also not a Muslim, in fact I am a Christian and even I can see the problem with this.

Across the globe Fifa is waving around this message that football brings people together.  It is a game for the world to enjoy and it spreads a message of peace.  So how is kicking a team out of the tournament based on them wearing Islamic head scarves supporting this ideal they are trying to promote?

Their(FIFA’s) rules state: "basic compulsory equipment must not have any political, religious or personal statements.”

69 Days to go and counting...

The FIFA 2010 Soccer World Cup is a wonderful marketing opportunity for South Africa.  It will enable us to showcase the country to an incredibly wide audience.

During the 2006 FIFA World Cup finals, the highest recorded TV audience for a single game in one nation was 71.5 million viewers in China PR for the group game between Japan and Croatia.

With FIFA basically invading South Africa, I am sitting wondering about the business of sport as a whole.

Excitement is building up for that BIG event coming up in a few days.  Yes, we are talking about the

The whole SOUTH AFRICA is up in arms this morning because FIFA is going up against our favorite airline when it come to advertising.

Yes people, Kulula.com has been ordered to removed their latest campaign promoting their flights.  As reported on Fin24.com it reads as follow:

It may seem a strange question to ask now in March. Today we stand with just 100 days left to the start of the 2010 FIFA World Cup. I believe it is going to be a great occasion. I believe we will run a great event. I believe that we should all get behind it even if you don't particulalry like the game itself.

 I thought I'd be a good citizen and actually apply online for tickets. I applied for about R2,000 spread across 3 1st round matches and one quarter final. Guess what, FIFA haven't told me which matches I got yet, but R280 was taken off my account today, following Monday's automated draw. That equates to one match is simply disappointing. The worst part is I'm sure the match I got is the only Bafana Bafana match I applied for - SA vs Uruguay. So, no Nigeria, no Brazil, no Ivory Coast, no quarter final. Two of my colleagues are in exactly the same posittion, having applied for over R1,600 worth of tickets, only R280 was taken off their accounts. Oh well, I guess we've gotto que at FNB now for the next phase which is 1st come 1st serve.

ITWeb reporter Nicola Mawson, wrote this very interesting article about Fifa taking on websites that illegally use their trademarks.