AllAfrica News: World Cup

There is a popular cliche which says there is no smoke without fire underneath. Most truths in Nigeria first begin like a rumour and because Nigerians are mostly doubting Thomases, they fail to act on time.

TANZANIA Street children team depart tomorrow for South Africa, ahead of the inaugural World Cup soccer tournament set to kick off in Durban on Sunday.

Greedy service providers who were "unduly" inflating their prices in anticipation of a World Cup bonanza were sending a signal of exploitation to the wider world and doing long-term damage to the country, Finance Minister Pravin Gordhan said yesterday.

SIMMERING tension between the South African Football Association (Safa) and Sandown High School exploded into a shouting match yesterday after Wits University's Sturrock Park was confirmed as Bafana Bafana's base camp for the 2010 Soccer World Cup.

Ghana's tourism Minister, Mrs. Zita Okaikoi, has called on Africans to take advantage of the upcoming South Africa 2010 to harness the tourism potentials on the continent.

Wigan Athletic of England whiz-kid, Victor Moses is seeking the route back home to Nigeria, following the snub handed him by Queensland under-20 coach, Stuart Pearce.

In the first two weeks of June, hundreds of thousands of football fans will be pouring into South Africa for the FIFA World Cup. Preparations are going well. Sepp Blatter, FIFA president, has blastered doomsayers. The South Africa World Cup, he says, is going to be a totally successful event. And it is easy to believe him. For sport loving fans this is good news.

New Super Eagles Technical Adviser, Lars Lagerback has warned Super Eagles players against late coming and other undisciplined acts when called for national assignments. Lagerback said gone are the days when players of national teams are pampered to don their national colours, insisting on patriotism as the only yardstick for call up.

Super Eagles and Olympic Massaille defender, Taye Taiwo believes the new Super Eagles Technical Adviser, Lars Lagerback is the right man for the job, but says the Swede must feel the passion of the players to succeed.

WITH less than three months to go before the Soccer Word Cup kicks off, Autopax Passenger Services said yesterday that it had not yet received money to train bus drivers who will operate a hi-tech intercity bus system during the tournament.

I don't like press conferences.

A growing number of media owners in South Africa are finding that their regular advertisers are holding back on placing ads during June and July 2010 when the FIFA World Cup is on, and they're at a loss to understand why. I must admit it is mystifying.

EMPLOYMENT expectations in the wholesale and retail sector are growing, as bosses look towards the Soccer World Cup and a global economic recovery.

FEW international airlines are adding additional seat capacity or flights for the Soccer World Cup, meaning charter flights will be key in bringing foreign fans to SA.

Delays in determining the location of public viewing areas in cities not hosting Soccer World Cup matches were the "Achilles heel" in the Department of Health's preparations for the big event, Parliament heard yesterday.

Super Eagles Technical Adviser, Lars Lagerback will have the final say on whether the Super Eagles will play another World Cup-bound team, Paraguay, ahead of the mundial in South Africa.

Austin Eguavoen, Daniel Amokachi and Alloy Agu will all be fired along with Lars Lagerback if and when the Swede fails to meet his targets and is asked to go.

South Africa's national team players training during a practice session in Teresopolis, Brazil, on Wednesday. South Africa's Bafana-Bafana is in Brazil for a month-long training camp as part of preparation for the upcoming 2010 World Cup.

The Nigerian Football Federation has confirmed four pre-World Cup friendly matches for the Super Eagles.

Nigeria Football Federation has secured an entertainment venue at the 2010 World Cup and the federation plans to spice up Nigeria's participation in the 'football village' to be opened in Durban, South Africa.