News
Soccerex to put SA on world map
06 October - The imminent hosting of the 2010 Fifa World Cup™ in South Africa has opened many doors for South Africa, one of them being Soccerex, the biggest football-focused exhibition in the world.
Referees set sights on 2010 World Cup
02 October - Qualifying is already well underway for teams looking to book their place at the 2010 Fifa World Cup South Africa™, but it is not just players and coaches of the various countries who are looking ahead to 2010. The world's top referees also have their sights set on South Africa.
2010 plans to be piloted during PSL match
01 October - Saturday’s Premier Soccer League clash between Orlando Pirates and Santos at Ellis Park Stadium will be used to pilot Park and Ride facilities in preparation for the 2010 Fifa World Cup™, the department of transport said on Tuesday.
Transport Month highlights 2010 progress
30 September - Preparations to welcome thousands of fans to South Africa for the 2010 Fifa World Cup™ spectacular are at an advanced stage at OR Tambo International Airport.
Government: Politics won’t affect World Cup
29 September - The unfolding changes in the Executive of the Republic of South Africa will not have any negative impact on preparations for the 2010 Fifa World Cup™.
‘Adopt a Nation’ campaign to galvanise kids
29 September - The Local Organising Committee South Africa has invited millions of school children to be part of 2010 Fifa World Cup™. The “Adopt a Nation” school programme was launched at the Nasrec Sports Precinct in Johannesburg on Saturday.
New SA president pledges best World Cup
26 September - President-elect of the Republic of South Africa, Kgalema Motlanthe, says the government remains committed to all the promises it made to Fifa and the international football community to deliver the best 2010 Fifa World Cup™.
Klerksdorp city banks on 2010 spinoffs
25 September - The City of Matlosana is ready to benefit from South Africa’s hosting of the 2010 Fifa World Cup™ with sponsorships and football development programmes already in place.
Zakumi: 2010 Fifa World Cup Official Mascot launched
22 September - Zakumi, the Official 2010 Fifa World Cup South Africa™ Mascot, has made his first ever public appearance at a media launch at SABC’s Auckland Park studios in Johannesburg.
2010 World Cup Mascot launch on Monday
19 September - The South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC) – official broadcast partner of the 2010 Fifa World Cup™ – will on Monday unveil the long awaited Official Mascot of the 2010 Fifa World Cup. The launch will be broadcast live on SABC1.
09 July 2008
PE dropped from Confederations plans
Simangaliso Zwane
Johannesburg – It’s official. Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium in Port Elizabeth in the Eastern Cape has been removed from the 2009 Fifa Confederations Cup™ schedule but remains one of the 2010 Fifa World Cup™ venues.
Local Organising Committee (LOC) Chairperson Dr Irvin Khoza told journalists at a press briefing in Nasrec that the Board of Directors of the 2010 Fifa World Cup Organising Committee on Tuesday took the decision to remove Nelson Mandela Bay from the cup schedule after receiving a report from the technical team.
According to the LOC, the decision was made after the technical committee reported that it was highly unlikely that the Mandela Bay Stadium will meet the 30 March 2009 deadline for completion set by Fifa and the LOC in May at the last Board meeting.
“We acknowledge the progress that has been made on the Nelson Mandela Bay stadium in recent months. With the complex nature of the construction and erection of the roof of the stadium, however, it was decided that it would be too high a risk to keep the stadium in the Fifa Confederations Cup schedule,” Khoza said.
Earlier this year, Khoza said that the LOC was closely monitoring all the Fifa Confederations Cup stadiums and that if there was a chance that any of them would not be ready, they would be removed from the strict schedule.
Port Elizabeth – hometown to LOC CEO Danny Jordaan – will now focus on preparing for the 2010 Fifa World Cup which kicks off in less than two years’ time.
Khoza said the LOC believed that the stadium will be ready for the Fifa World Cup in 2010.
“The stadium has been one of the star performers of the Fifa World Cup construction process and again, we reiterate that the stadium will be a wonderful venue in 2010. We want to commend the Nelson Mandela Bay Metropolitan Municipality on the work that has been done on the stadium, said Khoza.
Fifa Secretary General Jerome Valcke also said that the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium will be ready for 2010, when the World Cup comes to Africa for the first time.
“Nelson Mandela Bay bears the name of a great man who, at the host announcement in 2004, told of how inspirational this tournament is to him. And in 2010 it will be an outstanding stadium in a great location worthy of the big name it stands for – there is no doubt about it,” said Valcke.
Valcke said he was 100 percent behind the decision to drop Port Elizabeth from the Confederations Cup schedule and commended the LOC for making a firm decision.
“We fully support the decision which was taken today by the Board based on the bare facts and the ongoing monitoring of the technical committee development in Port Elizabeth. The Board showed that it is not afraid to take tough decisions to ensure the overall success of the Fifa Confederations Cup,” he said.
The decision taken on Tuesday has already been communicated to the Mayor of Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality Nondumiso Maphazi.
Khoza said all the other stadiums earmarked for the Confederations Cup are on track and that the LOC will constantly monitor progress at these venues.
South Africa is building five new stadiums for the 2010 football spectacular while another five are being upgraded.
The stadiums to be used for the Confederations Cup in 2009 are Loftus Versfeld, Ellis Park, Royal Bafokeng and the Free State Stadium in Mangaung.