News
2010 more than just a game – Govt
21 August - The 2010 Fifa World Cup to be hosted in South Africa should be used as a vehicle to send new images to the world about the people of South Africa and the African continent alike, media delegates in Beijing have heard.
World Cup to boost SA tourism
21 August - South African tourism and leisure sectors are set to benefit from the country’s hosting of the 2010 Fifa World Cup™, Deputy Minister of Finance Jabulani Moleketi said on Thursday.
SA police promise safe World Cup
19 August - South African National Deputy Police Commissioner Andre Pruis says the 2009 Fifa Confederations Cup™ and the 2010 Fifa World Cup™ to be held in South Africa will be safe.
Media to scrutinise 2010 preparations
15 August - A contingent of international and local media representatives has been invited to put preparations for the 2010 Fifa World Cup™ under the microscope in Beijing, the Department of Sport and Recreation said in a statement on Friday.
2010 lessons from Olympic volunteers
15 August - Potential volunteers for the 2009 Fifa Confederations Cup™ and 2010 Fifa World Cup™ to be hosted in South Africa will have to be on top of their game to ensure that crucial areas of operations are well-manned during the events.
SA must unite to make 2010 a success - govt
13 August - With less than 666 days left before the biggest soccer event on the African continent kicks off, government has called on South Africans to come together and share the vision of making it a memorable success.
Fifa: Nothing can go wrong in 2010
12 August - Fifa boss Sepp Blatter has once again reiterated his confidence in South Africa’s hosting of the 2010 Fifa World Cup™ saying the event will change the face of the tournament.
Beijing comes alive with Olympic spirit
12 August - Giant outdoor screens brandishing the Olympic circles, sports memorabilia, Chinese flags, strict traffic flow protocol, heavy police presence, branded commodities, scores of tourists, giant official mascots, late night food markets, and game.
LOC gets ball rolling at Host Cities
06 August - The 2010 Fifa World Cup South Africa™ Organizing Committee has announced the appointment of eight Organising Committee Venue Managers in a move aimed at dispersing its operations to host city level.
2010 boss for Soccerex
05 August - Soccerex have announced that Danny Jordaan, CEO of the 2010 Fifa World Cup South Africa™ Organizing Committee will be participating at the 2008 Soccerex Conference programme.
Volunteer applications hit 20 000
04 August - More than 20 000 South Africans have applied to volunteer during the 2009 Fifa Confederations Cup™ tournament, the Local Organising Committee (LOC) Volunteer Programme said on Friday.
2010 security exercises in Bloemfontein
04 August - South African law enforcement agencies will hold joint security exercises in Bloemfontein in preparation for the 2010 Fifa World Cup™, South African Police Service (SAPS) said in a statement on Sunday.
20 May 2008
Santana upbeat about Bafana job
Simangaliso Zwane
Nasrec – Newly appointed Bafana Bafana coach Brazilian Joel Santana has told reporters that he is looking forward to working with the South African Senior Soccer Team. He was speaking during his first media briefing at Safa House in Johannesburg on Monday.
The media briefing was convened by the South African Football Association. The association’s Chief Executive Officer Raymond Hack told journalists that the coach would not answer questions about Bafana Bafana as he had not had time to familiarise himself with the team and his technical assistants.
Speaking through his translator, Santana said that the first official briefing of local and international media was a very important day in his professional career.
“This is a very important day in my professional career, not only professionally but I feel very emotional.
“We have come here on a mission, a very difficult mission but not impossible for those who have courage and for those who have faith, he said.
Hack was quick to allay rumours that Santana’s belated arrival was due to delays in obtaining his work permit. He showed the passport to the media and said inside it was the official stamp of authority that will allow Santana to work in South Africa.
“I have in front of me Mr Santana’s passport which everybody wanted to see and inside the passport is an official work permit.
“And contrary to media reports Mr Santana was not waiting for the work permit, he was working for his passport and only once we got the passport would we have been in a position to put the work permit in,” said Hack.
Santana said he was not in South Africa on an adventure and that Bafana’s “excellent performance” during the World Cup can only be realised through working in unison.
“I want to say to those of you who said you do not know me that you will get to know me, you will not get to know me through words but you will get to know me through work with honesty.
“We have come here with a great deal of honour to work together to perform excellently in the World Cup 2010, this will only be possible if we help each other, we are here to work together. I can not do anything by myself, I have had an opportunity this morning to meet the staff who will be working with me and I was extremely excited and happy to get to know them,” Santana said.
The new coach says he has a great deal of respect for fellow compatriot Carlos Alberto Parreira who resigned owing to family responsibility late April. Santana says he has “known Professor Alberto Parreira for more than 20 years.”
“I learned my training [at] the same faculty as Mr Parreira in the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro and I can not let him down, he is somebody that has entrusted me with this job,” he said.
Santana said reports that he does not have international experience were untrue as he has had numerous stints with international teams and won trophies. He said it’s every coach’s dream to prepare a 2010 Fifa World Cup™ host country.
“This is not a challenge, it’s a gift and because I was born on Christmas day, this was my Christmas present and I am thankful for that gift,” he said.
The Bafana coach said his coaching credentials are a result of a ten-year-long professional football career.
“I am not a coach that learned his football out of a book as I was also a professional player. I have played for 10 years with Vasco da Gama, he said.
Santana will officially take charge of Bafana on Wednesday. His first order of business will be to assemble a Bafana squad to play Nigeria in the opening African Nations Cup Group Four qualifier in Abuja, Nigeria on June 1.