World Cup 2010: Fifa investigates as Diego Maradona targeted by laser

FIFA have told security officials at Ellis Park stadium to investigate an incident where a supporter shined a laser pen on to the pitch during Argentina’s win over Nigeria yesterday.

The green beam was shined towards a number of players, including Lionel Messi – as well as towards Argentina coach Diego Maradona.

The incident has highlighted concerns over security at the stadium, with questions being asked as to how an item such as this was missed when the fans entered through security checkpoints.

A statement issued by FIFA said: “We noticed this incident once and immediately asked the stadium security to look into the matter.

“According to the information that we have at this time, the incident only occurred once. Also at the time of writing, we have not received any comments from any of the teams.”

This comes after a long line of similar laser pen incidents during high-profile matches. Cristiano Ronaldo was also targeted during a Champions League game for Manchester United against Lyon in February 2008.

EC student to dance at opening ceremony

AN EASTERN Cape student is thirlled to be chosen as one of the dancers who will rub shoulders with renowned artists at the 2010 Fifa World Cup opening ceremony.



Zonke Jikela, of King Hintsa FET College Centane campus, won the Fifa diski dance competition last weekend in Mthatha. She has been dancing since she was 12 .



“I am a little nervous,” Jikela said. “It is the World Cup – and it doesn’t get bigger than that!”


The Dutywa-born student was nominated in the audition for diski and cultural dances, in which more than 80 groups participated.


The 22-year-old tourism student said she was not planning on leaving school but if the opportunity arose she would grab it with both hands.


“I want to finish my studies, but if I were to be spotted while dancing and asked to dance professionally, I would. It’s a great platform. I never thought that I would be involved in the World Cup like this,” she said.


Luck seems to be on Jikela’s side as she was crowned the college’s queen when she won the Miss Freshette competition.


Campus head Nqwenelwa Koboka said that they were “extremely excited” about Jikela’s achievement.


“I am lost for words. We are proud of our girl who will be participating in such a magnificent event as the World Cup.

“We are especially happy because we are in a rural area and we will be recognised nationally,” said Koboka.


The college’s chief executive officer, Sibusiso Lukhozi, cautioned Jikela about the realities of life.


Lukhozi said not even Jikela’s grandchildren will ever have a chance like hers. Lukhozi said Jikela had made history for her family and the college. - By SIYA BOYA

Beckham Takes Centre Stage at FIFA Bidding Expo

David Beckham will be the star attraction at today's bidding expo (Getty)(WFI) David Beckham is set to provide a huge boost for the England 2018 World Cup bid when he appears at a bidding expo after today’s 60th FIFA Congress in Sandton.

The England star will be joined by bid CEO Andy Anson, international president David Dein and former South Africa captain Lucas Radebe who is serving as a bid ambassador.

At the previous bidders expo, held in Cape Town last December, Beckham stole the show, grabbing global headlines while other bid teams looked on bemused.

Unlike then, today’s event is closed to the media. Instead the 700 delegates at the FIFA Congress will get their chance to rub shoulders with the football icon. Beckham also has a role on Fabio Capello's England team coaching staff in South Africa.

Each of the nine bidders for the 2018 and 2022 World Cups will have a stand at the exhibition where they can present their proposals to FIFA members.

The delegates from FIFA’s 208 member associations are likely to be in fine form after receiving an unprecedented dividend from football’s governing body when its congress convenes earlier in the day.

“Due to a strong financial result, FIFA will announce an extraordinary financial contribution to its members as well as to the confederations,” FIFA president Sepp Blatter promises in his introduction to the congress agenda.

Earlier this week, Blatter seemed almost giddy with excitement when hinting at the expected windfall.

The funds are largely distributed via the FIFA Financial Assistance Programme, which is designed to assist associations and confederations to organize development initiatives which strengthen football and its administration.

The grants of several hundred thousand euros are small fry for rich associations, such as those in Europe. But in Asia and Africa they form a crucial part of their income.

Critics of the scheme say that there is a lack of accountability of how the funds are spent and that there is evidence they have been misappropriated by corrupt officials.

Gridlock a “worry” ahead of World Cup opener
One day from the big kick-off, transport uncertainty still abounds, with many football fans unsure of how to get to Johannesburg's Soccer City on match day.

At yesterday’s FIFA press conference, the LOC chief spokesman, Rich Mkhondo, acknowledged that it was a “worry” that the city may experience “gridlock or congestion from 9am until 8pm".

He urged fans to avoid driving and use Johannesburg’s public transport system, which he said was “very good” – not normally a description associated with the city’s trains and municipal buses.

But even so close to the tournament, many locals, visitors and even media are unsure how to get to the venue of the opening ceremony and final, which is around 30km drive from Sandton, Johannesburg’s main hub.

INSIDER quizzed Mkhondo about the transport situation and put forward local concerns at the press conference.

He said there had been a large scale publicity campaign over the last week, including brochures handed out with newspapers and radio adverts advising on the whereabouts of park and ride schemes.

Asked if there was a website, he said that was the responsibility of the department of transport insisting they had published all the necessary information.

But a quick glance at 2010findyourway.co.za reveals a badly-designed website filled with platitudes about all the host cities (“Johannesburg is a melting pot laced with all the flavours of African cultures and beyond…” etc).

There are no timetables and the free bus service from specified hubs seems to have been reduced to a “metrobus and minibus taxi service”.

While those journalists in official press hotels have a timetabled shuttle service, those driving to the stadium from outside Johannesburg are being told to go a day in advance to collect their parking permits – a big ask given the city’s traffic congestion. Nor does it take into account other events, such as the FIFA Congress today, or other matches reporters are likely to attend.

The reality is that no one knows quite what to expect, but chaos seems the most likely outcome for anyone who doesn’t arrive ridiculously early.

Give them their circus, but what about their bread?
The contradictions between South Africa’s horrendous poverty and the billions of rand being spent on the World Cup have been well-documented and widely discussed.

But no one has articulated the contradiction quite so well as the country’s Nobel literature laureate, Nadine Gordimer.
“While there is great excitement about the World Cup, at the same time we’ve got these tremendous difficulties,” the 87-year-old said in a rare interview with New Statesman magazine.

“I’m certainly not a killjoy. People need bread and circuses, and this is a big circus. Let it be enjoyed. But what about the bread?”

World Cup in numbers
17 – Players present in South Africa who were at the 1998 World Cup in France, including World Cup winner Thierry Henry. Just two, however, remain from the 1994 finals – South Korea goalkeeper Lee Woon Jae and Cameroon defender Rigobert Song.

Blatter watch
Last night, the FIFA president officially opened the 60th FIFA Congress with a speech at the opening ceremony – incongruously held at the Gallagher Convention Centre, rather than that in Sandton where the convention is being held today.

Blatter was among a number of speakers who included South African president Jacob Zuma, Mayor of Johannesburg Amos Masondo South African Football Association president Kirsten Nematandani, Confederation of African Football president Issa Hayatou and organising committee chairman Irvin Khoza. Former South African president Nelson Mandela sent a video message.

Zuma, in his address, summed up best what the World Cup symbolises to people on the continent. “FIFA decided that Africa’s time had come and that a nation which was only just emerging from centuries of pain and conflict needed the chance to prove its capabilities.”

Weather in Johannesburg/Cape Town
Cloudy with sunny intervals and a maximum of 13°C in Jo'burg. Sunny day forecast with high of 16°C in Cape Town

Fifa World Cup 2010: Opening Ceremony Tonight


FIFA World Cup 2010. The day is June 11, 2010. 32 teams from 32 different countries all over the globe will meet again in South Africa to fight for World Cup glory. Held every 4 years and taking a month to complete, each team will give their best and their all to take home the much-coveted trophy. Yes, the most-watched sporting event in the world will again take stage and unite people from all walks of life.

The 32 teams out of the World Cup qualification phase will be divided into multiple groups. In the group stage, 8 groups with 4 teams each will comprise of Group A to Group H. In this stage, a round-robin style tournament will be used. After which the top 2 teams of each group will move forward to the knockout stage beginning with the 2nd round, the quarter finals, the semi finals, the third-place match and ultimately the finals.

FIFA World Cup 2010 Opening Ceremony and Schedule of Matches

This year’s World Cup will have a “2-day opening” that would start on Thursday night. It would feature top music artist around the globe. To perform the official 2010 World Cup song, “Waka Waka (This Time for Africa)”, would be singer/songwriter Shakira. She will team up with a local South African group Freshlyground.

Other than these artists, John Legend, Alicia Keys, the Black Eyed Peas, and Colombian heart-throb rocker Juanes. Top African musicians such as Amadou and Mariam, The Parlotones and Angelique Kidjo, will also be there.

The FIFA World Cup Kick-off Celebration Concert will be a 3-hour affair and will be held in Orlando Stadium in Soweto, Johannesburg. It will start at 8PM local time (GMT +2).

Proceeds from the concert on Thursday night will be used for 20 Centers for 2010 - a charity campaign dedicated to building twenty Football for Hope Centres for public health, education and football across Africa.

As for Friday’s actual opening ceremony before the game between the hosts and Mexico, performances to be expected are rather a secret. FIFA opted to do it this way to keep expectations and excitement high.

Here is the schedule of matches in the group stage (local South Africa time GMT +2) :


Group A – South Africa | Uruguay | France | Mexico
Date – Time Venue Result
11 June – 4.00pm Johannesburg South Africa - Mexico
11 June – 8.30pm Cape Town Uruguay - France
16 June – 8.30pm Pretoria South Africa - Uruguay
17 June – 8.30pm Polokwane France - Mexico
22 June – 4.00pm Rustenburg Mexico - Uruguay
22 June – 4.00pm Bloemfontein France - South Africa


Group B – Argentina | Korea Republic | Greece | Nigeria
Date – Time Venue Result
12 June – 4.00pm Johannesburg Argentina - Nigeria
12 June – 1.30pm Port Elizabeth Korea Republic - Greece
17 June – 4.00pm Bloemfontein Greece - Nigeria
17 June – 1.30pm Johannesburg Argentina - Korea Republic
22 June – 8.30pm Durban Nigera - Korea Republic
22 June – 8.30pm Polokwane Greece - Argentina


Group C – England | Algeria | Slovenia | USA
Date – Time Venue Result
12 June – 8.30pm Rustenburg England - United States
13 June – 1.30pm Polokwane Algeria - Slovenia
18 June – 4.00pm Johannesburg Slovenia - USA
18 June – 8.30pm Cape Town England - Algeria
23 June – 4.00pm Port Elizabeth Slovenia - England
23 June – 4.00pm Pretoria USA - Algeria


Group D – Germany | Serbia | Ghana | Australia
Date – Time Venue Result
13 June – 8.30pm Johannesburg Germany - Australia
13 June – 4.00pm Pretoria Serbia - Ghana
18 June – 1.30pm Port Elizabeth Germany - Serbia
19 June – 4.00pm Rustenburg Ghana - Australia
23 June – 8.30pm Johannesburg Ghana - Germany
23 June – 8.30pm Nelspruit Australia - Serbia


Group E – Netherlands | Japan | Cameroon | Denmark
Date – Time Venue Result
14 June – 1.30pm Johannesburg Netherlands - Denmark
14 June – 4.00pm Bloemfontein Japan - Cameroon
19 June – 1.30pm Durban Netherlands - Japan
19 June – 8.30pm Pretoria Cameroon - Denmark
24 June – 8.30pm Rustenburg Denmark - Japan
24 June – 8.30pm Cape Town Cameroon - Netherlands


Group F – Italy | New Zealand | Slovakia | Paraguay
Date – Time Venue Result
14 June – 8.30pm Cape Town Italy - Paraguay
15 June – 1.30pm Rustenburg New Zealand - Slovakia
20 June – 1.30pm Bloemfontein Slovakia - Paraguay
20 June – 4.00pm Nelspruit Italy - New Zealand
24 June – 4.00pm Johannesburg Slovakia - Italy
24 June – 4.00pm Polokwane Paraguay - New Zealand


Group G – Ivory Coast | Brazil | Portugal | Korea DPR
Date – Time Venue Result
15 June – 4.00pm Port Elizabeth Ivory Coast - Portugal
15 June – 8.30pm Johannesburg Brazil - Korea DPR
20 June – 8.30pm Johannesburg Brazil - Ivory Coast
21 June – 1.30pm Cape Town Portugal - Korea DPR
25 June – 4.00pm Durban Portugal - Brazil
25 June – 4.00pm Nelspruit Korea DPR - Ivory Coast


Group H – Honduras | Spain | Chile | Switzerland
Date – Time Venue Result
16 June – 1.30pm Nelspruit Honduras - Chile
16 June – 4.00pm Durban Spain - Switzerland
21 June – 4.00pm Port Elizabeth Chile - Switzerland
21 June – 8.30pm Johannesburg Spain - Honduras
25 June – 8.30pm Pretoria Chile - Spain
25 June – 8.30pm Bloemfontein Switzerland - Honduras