Spain set for Poland friendly

Spain will complete their preparations for the 2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa™ with a friendly against Poland, the Spanish FA confirmed today.

The European champions will host Poland at an as yet unconfirmed venue in Spain on 8 June before heading to South Africa, where Vicente del Bosque's first group match is against Switzerland on 16 June in Durban.

Spain, who face France in Paris on 3 March, also have two other friendlies planned just prior to leaving for the world finals, both of which have already been confirmed by the RFEF last month.

Serbia select Johannesburg for base

Serbia will use Johannesburg as their base for the 2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa™ finals, the country's football federation has said.

Serbia are in Group D with Germany, Australia and Ghana.

Their base for the 11 June - 11 July finals, close to the University of Johannesburg, is around 40 kilometres from Loftus stadium in Pretoria, where Serbia open their campaign against Ghana on 13 June.

Source: FIFA.com

Zuma: World Cup good for business

South African President Jacob Zuma has used the gathering of the 2010 World Economic Forum in Switzerland to highlight South Africa’s 2010 FIFA World Cup readiness.

President Zuma told delegates that the tournament offered an opportunity for the world to see and experience Africa in a different way.

“We are also here at Davos during an exciting year for South Africa. We will in a few months host the 2010 FIFA World Cup, the biggest event of its kind to have ever taken place in South Africa and in Africa.

“It is an opportunity to tackle stereotypes and preconceptions about the continent, and explore new frontiers of interaction and cooperation. It is an important milestone in the regeneration of the continent,” he said.

Fans favour dynamic Drogba

"At the World Cup, we won't only be representing the people of Côte d'Ivoire, but also millions of African people!" Speaking exclusively to FIFA.com just a few months ago, Didier Drogba underlined the immense pride and keen responsibility with which he is approaching the 2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa™ this summer.

The world class Ivorian striker, who stars at club level for London giants Chelsea, can hardly wait to hit the goal trail in his home continent this June. You, the fans from all over the world, are equally excited at the prospect of watching Drogba in full flow. In our latest FIFA.com poll, when we asked which striker you were most looking forward to seeing at the forthcoming FIFA World Cup finals, the 31-year-old carried off the honours with 29.06 per cent of the votes cast.

Low: First team football essential

Germany coach Joachim Low has warned candidates for his FIFA World Cup™ squad they will have to be playing regular first team football if they are to be considered next summer.

Speaking to the Welt am Sonntag newspaper, Low explained how he had learnt from the mistake he made at UEFA EURO 2008 in nominating Real Madrid defender Christoph Metzelder despite the fact he had spent much of the latter stages of the season injured. The central defender never managed to reach his best form during the competition and Low will not make the same mistake again.

"I won't call up anybody who has not been playing regularly for their side in the months building up to the tournament," he said. "That is something I have learned from EURO 2008. This is going to be a World Cup which will be played at a very high pace."

Beckham dreaming of world return

After starring and scoring for England at France 1998, Korea/Japan 2002 and Germany 2006, David Beckham has told FIFA.com that he is relishing the prospect of appearing in his fourth FIFA World Cup™ in South Africa in June and July.

The 34-year-old midfielder’s chances of being in the Three Lions’ 23-man squad were recently discussed by Fabio Capello, who said: "Of course he will be included, if he plays [for AC Milan] and is well physically,” he said. “I don't look at ages. I look at skill and Beckham has a lot. He's serious, a real professional and he's really dedicated to making the World Cup squad."

In FIFA.com’s first Interview of the Week of what promises to be a special year, one of world football’s highest-profile players speaks about the highs and lows he has experienced at FIFA World Cups, his thoughts on current FIFA World Player of the Year Lionel Messi and his hopes for Africa’s legacy post-2010.

O'Neill unconcerned by Heskey links

Aston Villa manager Martin O'Neill has played down speculation linking Emile Heskey with a move away from Villa Park this month.

The England striker has been tipped as a potential target for his former club, Liverpool. However, O'Neill takes such speculation in his stride and puts it down to the time of year now that the transfer window is open again.

He said: "It isn't of any concern to me at all. It is just the nature of the business. Things have been bubbling up because January is the only opportunity that clubs can bring in players or move players out during the season.

"It doesn't bother me one jot. I cannot go on confirming or denying stories. It just happens. We will be linked with a lot of players in January and a lot of clubs will be linked with some of our players," said O’Neill.


It isn't of any concern to me at all. It is just the nature of the business.
Aston Villa manager Martin O'Neill


"My own particular view is that in a general sense agents want to satisfy their players and you are going to get a lot of that in the January window."

Source: FIFA.com

Spector's long road home

(FIFA.com) Friday 1 January 2010
Injuries are unavoidable in football. As the modern game becomes even faster and tighter, with less and less time on the ball and space on the pitch, the demands on the body become greater and greater. Every player, at some point, will need to deal with an injury. And while some are luckier, only made to endure niggling muscle strains or painful knocks, others face multiple injuries, one after another, forcing long stretches out of the game, requiring massive doses of mental strength and discipline. USA and West Ham United man Jonathan Spector recently spoke with FIFA.com about his personal experience with big injuries and long, agonising stretches on the sidelines.

Spector, 23, was in fine fettle when the Americans shocked the world to reach the final of the FIFA Confederations Cup in South Africa last June, but national team fans could have been forgiven for thinking the brawny, blond-haired back was a new member of Bob Bradley’s squad. Missing out on all of 2006 and most of 2008, Spector – once a shining young star for the future – was forced to deal with a seemingly endless succession of cruel injuries that kept him out of action for the majority of the last three seasons for both club and country.

Baffoe: I'm incredibly proud

(FIFA.com) Thursday 31 December 2009
To get things done, you need “doers”, and Anthony Baffoe definitely belongs in that category. The 44-year-old can look back on a storied career, and his experience combined with his engaging personality, way with words and skills in sports management make him the ideal ambassador for African football.

The son of a Ghanaian diplomat, Baffoe grew up near to the former West German capital of Bonn and made a name for himself in the 1980s in the Bundesliga, becoming a real crowd favourite for Cologne and Fortuna Dusseldorf. Baffoe won some 16 caps for the West African nation before hanging up his boots and embarking on a successful career on German television in various sport programmes.

Del Bosque handed new Spain deal

(PA) Wednesday 23 December 2009
Vicente del Bosque has signed a two-year extension to his contract as Spain coach, the Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) has confirmed. The organisation's president, Angel Maria Villar, announced that the former midfielder will remain at the helm until UEFA EURO 2012, regardless of what happens at the 2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa™.

Del Bosque, who turned 59 today, took over the reins of La Roja after they won EURO 2008 and has a stunning record in charge, having won 21 of his 22 matches. "What is normal in this instance is that you always renew your coach's contract when you qualify for the World Cup," said Angel Villar.

Spain finalise South Africa preparations

(AFP) Wednesday 23 December 2009
Spain will play three international friendlies in the weeks before the 2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa™ next year and will be based near Johannesburg during the tournament, the nation's football federation said on Tuesday.

The European champions will play two friendlies at home, on 29 May and 8 June, and one away on 5 June. The squad's opponents for the matches have not yet been determined.

The Spanish national team will be based in Potchefstroom, a university town about 120 kilometres south-west of Johannesburg during the tournament. They will arrive in South Africa on 10 June.

Kiwis to face Mexico

(AFP) Tuesday 22 December 2009
New Zealand will play Mexico in March as part of the build-up to their first FIFA World Cup™ finals appearance since 1982, officials announced on Tuesday.

The Kiwis match against the North Americans will be played in Los Angeles on 3 March, in the first of up to six warm-up matches for the finals in South Africa, New Zealand Football said.

Ferdinand sure of 2010 fitness

(PA) Thursday 17 December 2009
Rio Ferdinand insists there is "no question" that he will be fit for next year's FIFA World Cup™ despite fears over his long-term fitness.

The Manchester United centre half has not played since the Red Devils' 2-0 loss at Liverpool in October thanks to a calf injury, which is linked to a previous back problem. United manager Sir Alex Ferguson has denied that the defender's injury is long-term and believes he will soon be back in action for the defending Premier League champions.

England manager Fabio Capello has insisted that his 23-man FIFA World Cup squad will not include anyone who is not fully fit, raising doubts about the 31-year-old's prospects of going to South Africa. Ferdinand has played only 12 internationals since Capello took over two years ago, but the former West Ham defender insists he will be ready to answer the Italian's call when he names his squad next summer.

Culina: Australia can do even better

(FIFA.com) Thursday 17 December 2009
Jason Culina is undaunted by the recent 2010 FIFA Word Cup™ draw, which placed Australia in Group D alongside Germany, Ghana and Serbia. The high-energy midfielder also believes that the Socceroos can build on the experience of Germany 2006 and better the achievement of reaching the last 16.

Since debuting for Australia in early 2005, Culina has been a fixture in the Socceroos line-up, starting all four matches at the 2006 FIFA World Cup and all four at the AFC Asian Cup a year later. Despite being blessed with a smooth touch and a good football brain, Culina’s invaluable contribution to the cause in the heart of the midfield is seemingly overlooked by some who fail to recognise his influence on the teams of Guus Hiddink and Pim Verbeek.

Capello: Owen needs regular games

(PA) Wednesday 16 December 2009
England coach Fabio Capello has insisted Manchester United striker Michael Owen needs to follow up last week's UEFA Champions League hat-trick with regular football to secure a place at the 2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa™.

The 30-year-old's treble against Wolfsburg led to suggestions he could force his way in the Italian's squad for next year's world finals, but he has only made substitute appearances against Aston Villa and Wolverhampton Wanderers since.

Vidic not distracted by 2010

(PA) Monday 14 December 2009
Nemanja Vidic will not allow his club form to be affected by thoughts of next year's FIFA World Cup™.

The Manchester United defender was expected to be one of the stars at Germany 2006 but ended up missing the entire competition after suffering a knee ligament injury before the tournament began. Now Vidic has the chance to make amends after Serbia qualified and ended up in a tough group with Germany, Ghana and Australia.

Given his experience last time around, the 28-year-old could be forgiven for taking things slightly tentatively in order to ensure his presence in South Africa. But that is just not Vidic's style.

Green Point stadium ready for 2010

(LOC) Monday 14 December 2009
Keys to the brand new Cape Town Stadium will be handed over to the city’s Executive Mayor Alderman Dan Plato ahead of the 2010 FIFA World Cup™ today.

“Just over a week after the successful hosting of the Final Draw for the 2010 FIFA World Cup, Cape Town will witness another momentous event – the handing over of the brand new Cape Town Stadium (Green Point stadium) to the City of Cape Town.

“At a special ceremony to mark the completion of one of the world’s most spectacular stadiums, the ‘keys’ will be handed by the main contractors, Murray and Roberts and WBHO, to Cape Town’s Executive Mayor, Alderman Dan Plato,” the city said in a statement on Monday.

Construction of the 68 000-seater stadium started on 26 March 2007, and the project has been completed on deadline two years and nine months later.

In just 33 months, joint contractors Murray and Roberts and WBHO completed the massive project at a cost of 4.4 billion rand (about 600 million dollars).

The project architects were an association between GMP Architects of Germany and two local firms, Louis Karol and Associates and Point Architects.

Green Point stadium

The design: The sweeping silhouette of the Green Point stadium has forever changed the face of the surrounding Green Point Common.

Enwrapped by a façade of woven fibreglass, coated with Teflon, it will resemble a rose-coloured bowl floating on a base, when lit up at night. The architects have dubbed the stadium “the Diva of Cape Town”, reflecting the constantly changing moods of the city in varying weather conditions.

The roof: The design and construction of the roof is unique. Its basic structure resembled a bicycle wheel, open in the middle with 72 cables linking the outer and inner rings of the circle were slowly tightened to raise the roof from ground level to its present height.

Another first for the roof is the use of 16mm thick panels of glass to cover and protect the spectators from strong winds and rain. This will let in the light while the ceiling panels underneath – made of woven PVC fabric - will soften the noise from within.

The stadium bowl: For the eight World Cup matches to be played at the venue, the stadium will have a seating capacity of 68,000, including 13,000 temporary seats which will be removed afterwards. Features of the stadium are that it can be evacuated in 15 minutes and that all the spectators are close to the game.

Safety: Spectators will be protected by a state-of-the-art camera surveillance system which is monitored by police in the Venue Operations Centre inside the stadium, while pitch invasions are discouraged by a wide moat around the circumference. There is also a police station inside the building to deal with hooligans and other criminals.

Quick facts:


96,000 cubic metres of concrete were used
The roof has a total weight of 4,700 tons
Some 9,000 glass panels were used to cover 37,000 square metres of roof
500 toilets and 360 urinals
115 entry turnstiles
16 lifts
More than 2,500 workers were employed on site during construction, and almost 1,200 artisans received training from the contractors

Source: FIFA.com

Volunteers gear up for busy year

(LOC) Friday 11 December 2009
While many South Africans will be relaxing over the holiday season, the 2010 FIFA World Cup Organising Committee South Africa(OC) will still be hard at work preparing for the task at hand next year. For the OC volunteer department, the new year brings with it the conclusion of the selection process and the beginning of training for the 15,000 strong group of volunteers that will help make 2010 happen.

In January, the selection of the final 15 0000 volunteers who will provide support at the 2010 FIFA World Cup will begin in earnest. These volunteers will be selected from a shortlist of 37 080 who were pre-selected from a total of 64 500 initial applications received from South Africa and abroad.

Blanc not interested in French job

(PA) Friday 11 December 2009
Bordeaux coach Laurent Blanc admits he is flattered to be linked to the France post but insists he is not giving the idea any thought.

Reports in France suggest the French Football Federation have earmarked Blanc to replace the unpopular Raymond Domenech when his contract runs out after the 2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa™.

The France legend, who won the FIFA World Cup as a player, claims he is not thinking about that possibility. "It's always pleasing, always gratifying to know that you are being thought of to be the coach of a team," he said. "After, I am the only one to know what reflection I could have.

Fergie: Owen can make South Africa

(PA) Friday 11 December 2009
Sir Alex Ferguson has told Michael Owen not to give up on his 2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa™ dream. The striker hoping to retain his starting spot for Manchester United's Premier League encounter with Aston Villa tomorrow, following his memorable hat-trick for the Red Devils in Tuesday's UEFA Champions League win over Wolfsburg.

Although it has shot the 29-year-old back to prominence, the general view is that his efforts have come too late to get him on the plane to the world finals next summer. Fabio Capello has overlooked Owen completely since the friendly defeat in France, which will be two years ago by the time England are next in action - probably against Egypt - on 3 March.