Offical World Cup Good News Thread

South Africa's Hopes Extend Beyond the Playing Field

Much is expected from the month long tournament: global recognition for an international up-and-comer; a pie in the face for pessimists who believed that the stadiums would never be completed on time; a jolt of good feeling in a nation with a dangerously dwindled supply of inspiration.

Sixteen years ago, as Nelson Mandela took the presidential oath and apartheid slipped further into ignominy, he declared that South Africa was no longer “the skunk of the world” but rather a “rainbow nation” where people of all colors could live in harmony. A year later, he urged his countrymen — black and white — to support their national rugby team, the sports obsession of the nation’s Afrikaner population. The squad won the world championship, a feel-good story retold last year in the movie “Invictus.”

South Africans now hope for a similar transcendent moment, this time from soccer, the favorite sport of the nation’s blacks. People here may not expect their country to win the tournament, but they believe it will throw a winning party.

To provide the potent magic, Mr. Mandela will make an appearance at Friday’s opening match, South Africa versus Mexico.

“We were once the rainbow nation, the world’s greatest fairy tale, and we want to be so again,” the writer Mark Gevisser said. “We need the world to love us again, sometimes it seems, before we can love ourselves.”
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“We need the world to love us again, sometimes it seems, before we can love ourselves.”
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The problem with personality cult leadership, is that they happen to be narcissistic phychos, who need no love, other than that great and utterly selfish love, of themselves.

We, the nation, love each other already. The games are a great moment in the history of the country. We need to unite. We need to unite against leadership that wishes to divide us.

Well done Bafana! :D
 
Bloem gets dragged out of obscurity!!

Bloemfontein looks to World Cup to shed backwater image

2010-06-12 15:00:00


Africa), June 12 (DPA) Once a bedrock of conservative Afrikaner culture during South Africa's apartheid years, Bloemfontein is embracing its status as a World Cup host city while attempting a much-needed image overhaul.

In part, the strategy involves highlighting certain lesser-known aspects of the city's past, ones that promoters of the campaign hope will appeal to prospective visitors, especially those coming from abroad.


So, while the 'Lord of the Rings' universally conjures up images from the fantasy saga of that name, and the series of Hollywood blockbusters it inspired, it was assumed that very few knew that its celebrated author, J.R.R. Tolkien, was born in Bloemfontein in 1892.


This fact is recounted by dozens of guidebooks and tourist brochures specially printed for the World Cup. Even the tournament's official Media Guide, lists it among a handful of essential 'Did you know?' items about the city.


Few of these sources, however, mention that Tolkien's stay in the city was a short one. He left when he was still a small child and reportedly never returned.
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source
 
Rustenburg. Revived from the dead.Sparks to life.

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"I think this is the biggest thing that ever happened to Rustenburg,
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"I think this is the biggest thing that ever happened to Rustenburg," said Carien Venter, owner of the Loerie-in guesthouse after not only filling out her 11 rooms but also arranging for another 18 people to stay with friends.

"And I'm not the only one. A lot of people booked out houses. If I had 100 rooms, I would have sold them all out tonight," she told AFP.

Rustenburg, whose name means "Town of Rest" in Afrikaans, is one of the smallest of the nine cities hosting the World Cup.

A mining town in North West province, it is usually no more than a rest stop for people on their way to the nearby Magaliesburg mountain range, game reserves or the Vegas-style Sun City resort.

Saturday's is much the most eye-watering of its five first round games.

Around 10,000 England fans are expected to pack into the Royal Ba***eng Stadium but most local supporters will also cheer on the Three Lions with English football widely shown on South African television.

Four thousand extra seats have been added to the stadium, bring the overall capacity at up to 42,000. Many more are expected to watch on giant television screens in a fan park in the city centre.
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Ronaldo hits out at vuvuzelas

http://www.sport24.co.za/Soccer/WorldCup/TournamentNews/Ronaldo-hits-out-at-vuvuzelas-20100613

Magaliesburg - Cristiano Ronaldo added his voice on Sunday to the complaints about the wall of sound being made by the vuvuzela trumpets at the World Cup, protesting they disturb the players' concentration.

"It is difficult for anyone on the pitch to concentrate," the Portugal star told a press conference.

"A lot of players don't like them, but they are going to have to get used to them."

The metre-long plastic vuvuzelas have been a hit with fans at the World Cup stadiums in South Africa, but the noise of thousands being blown at once resembles a high-volume swarm of buzzing bees.

"Teams have done nothing but criticise the vuvuzelas, but you have to respect them," Real Madrid midfielder Ronaldo said.

"Hardly anyone likes them, but the people who do like them are those who like to blow the instruments and make a racket."

As well as the vuvuzelas, Ronaldo said he was getting used to the much-criticised World Cup match ball.

"I'm more used to it than I was two weeks ago. I don't think it will be a problem," he said.

"We've trained enough with it to get accustomed to it and I'm sure the dribbles, the shots and the corners with it will all be fine."

Portugal start their Group G matches against the Ivory Coast on Tuesday.
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http://www.sport24.co.za/Soccer/WorldCup/TournamentNews/Armstrong-no-fan-of-vuvuzela-20100614

Armstrong no fan of vuvuzela

Armstrong joins among others Portugal star Cristiano Ronaldo in adding his voice to the unhappiness over the noise emitted from the metre-long plastic vuvuzelas that have been a hit with fans at stadiums across South Africa
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Regarding the Metroliner forced landing at Lanseria. South African Pilots heros.

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The passengers bolted out. "They dived to the ground, almost as if they were kissing the ground, relieved to be back on earth," said Treleven.

Opperman confirmed that the plane landed safely at about 11.30am.

"The control tower was advising the pilots along the way. They did everything perfectly right," said Opperman. When The Star arrived on the scene, the damaged aircraft was being towed off the runway.

Minister of Transport Sibusiso Ndebele praised the two crew members on board: "We want to commend the captain and crew of the Metroliner, and the emergency services ... for their role in ensuring a safe emergency landing."

Opperman said airline traffic was heavily backed up at the airport and a large number of flights were delayed while the crash site was cleared.
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source http://www.iol.co.za/index.php?set_id=6&click_id=2871&art_id=vn20100614043130697C744777
 
World Cup gives South Africa's wine a boost

http://edition.cnn.com/2010/WORLD/africa/06/14/sa.wines/index.html?hpt=Mid

Paarl, South Africa -- "I've got the best commute in the world," Fairview Estate's chief wine maker Anthony De Jager says with a smile as he watches his amiable pack of dogs run excitedly through the vineyards.

The sound of dried leaves crunching underfoot follows him as he wanders down the straight rows of vines. It is winter now and harvesting has come to a halt, giving the vines a rest and following a cycle of cultivation that has endured in this valley near the Western Cape town of Paarl for more than 300 years.

Not much has changed in the view of the stately mountains and picturesque vineyards, but football fever is running as high here as in the rest of the country and De Jager has seen a spike in wine sales to countries whose teams are playing in the World Cup.

"I think this whole World Cup and the whole focus of the entire planet for this period is fantastic for us and for our wine industry,' De Jager says as he looks out over the valley. "We really need it and we need to be able to show the world, not only South Africa, not our people and not only sport, but this side of it as well."

There is no doubt that South African wines are benefiting from the World Cup.

In previous decades, South Africa's isolation during the apartheid years held back both innovation and international expansion in the wine industry, but since the dawn of democracy the country's wines have become far more palatable and are increasing in popularity around the globe.

South African winemakers now say that they can compete with the rest of the world but at home, the situation has been more complex.

For many years, wine was regarded as a drink for privileged whites. As the newest winemaker at Fairview, Patrick Sidyiyo explained: "My father worked on a wine farm, but he only drank beer."

As with much else in South Africa, that is changing fast. "In South Africa we are getting a lot of middle class black people, and I think people are getting more sophisticated now. It has changed. They realize that wine is not just made for white people, it is for everyone," Sidyiyo said.

Traditionally, South African wines were regarded as providing good value for money but not really having the edge to make them world beaters. Today that is no longer the case.

"We have a huge diversity in our wine areas," De Jager said. "Each region has very different types. It makes them dramatic, adventurous."

Sidyiyo shares this sense of pride in his country's burgeoning industry: "I think I am an ambassador," he says, "especially when it comes to wine."
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And there are some awesome figurines of the Big 5 playing soccer on sale at a shop on that bridge between Sandton City and the Mandela Square.
 
R22 000 each for a Bafana draw

http://www.timeslive.co.za/sport/soccer/article504454.ece/R22-000-each-for-a-Bafana-draw

Siphiwe Tshabalala and his team mates will get just under R22,000 each for the draw with Mexico during the World Cup opener game on Friday, Beeld reports.
SA Football Association boss Leslie Sedibe said the whole team received R500,000 to share for each goal scored during a draw. That means each of the 23 team members will get R21,739.19 after Friday's 1-1 draw.

For a win, the team shares R1 million for each goal scored.
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Rogue Reporter Identified

Taken from Whale Tales blog
The Sour Service Award goes to SkyNews and its Johannesburg-based reporter Emma Heard, who keeps finding yet another negative story to tell about South Africa, especially its townships, in the run up to the World Cup. Ironically, S A Tourism sponsored SkyNews sport broadcasts for almost a year! The negative reporting has created a growing backlash against the TV station amongst South Africans, and on Twitter in particular, leading to a less than flattering @emmaturd Twitter account having been created about her!
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I'd slap that Emma Turd with a wet snoek. She never has anything good to say. Send her back to the UK I say.
 
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