Category: world cup 2010

Hand it over

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Despite the doubters, the legal challenges, the alleged shortages of concrete, labour, electricity and armadillos and the political infighting, the Cape Town Stadium is to be handed over to the City today. On schedule.
Compare that with the magnificent Wembley Stadium in London which came in over a year late and you can see that this “third world backwater” CAN actually do things when minds are put to good use.

And it looks magnificent. Not perhaps so much by day, but at night it is simply stunning:

Much like the Moses Mabhida Stadium in Durban, it’s a sight that makes you gasp when you see it. But unlike the Moses Mabhida Stadium in Durban, you can actually see the pitch from the stands. This, I feel, is a huge advantage.
It’s like a UFO has landed on the edge of the CBD; it’s half Pringle chip, half Polo mint. The roof evokes images of Saturn’s rings, the translucent cladding allowing a peek of the excitement within.
And the location, location, location? Sitting just one block back from the ocean, nestling under Signal Hill with views across Table Bay and up to the mountain – it is perfect.

I think I am in love with this stadium. It’s just a shame I have to share it with 67,999 others.

FIFA World Cup Draw Photos

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Photos from the Long Street party, Signal Hill, the City Bowl and the awesome, awesome Cape Town Stadium on the night that Cape Town welcomed the world to the 2010 FIFA World Cup Draw.

 

After we had watched the draw, we headed up onto Signal Hill to take a look at the Stadium where it will all be happening – and couldn’t resist a few shots of beautiful Cape Town shining beneath us.

Here’s the Flickr set for more leisurely perusal (or if you don’t have Flash installed.*ahem* iPhone).

Long Street Updates Tonight

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I’m heading down to Long Street for the FIFA Fan Fest street party ahead of tonight’s FIFA 2010 World Cup Draw.

For live updates and photos, please follow me on Twitter.
“Proper” photos will appear some time later on my Flickr (RSS).

Cape Town has gone more than a bit mental. It’s going to be wild and it’s going to be busy.
It may help you to know that I’ll be the good-looking oke in the Bafana shirt. Do come and say hi.

UPDATE: I get to see:

Uruguay v France, Italy v Paraguay, ENGLAND v Algeria, Portugal v North Korea & Cameroon v Netherlands.
Plus, winner H (probably Spain) v Runner-up G (Portugal or Ivory Coast?)

capetown_3

Who do you want?

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Some wonderful examples of stating the bleeding obvious as journalists desperately try to make a story out of pure speculation over the FIFA World Cup Draw in Cape Town this evening:

A favourable draw for Bafana will give the hosts a chance of making it past the early stages of the first World Cup on African soil.

Wow. Who knew? Presumably a less favourable draw would reduce that chance?
(This is just a guess).

Three possibilities loom for Bafana Bafana when the 2010 World Cup draw is made: an easy passage to the second round, a challenging yet still possible promotion to the last 16 – or the dreaded Group of Death.

In between these three possibilities lie other inter-possibilities. Like, for example, Bafana Bafana getting drawn in the Group of Traumatic Amputation, which isn’t quite as bad as the Group of Death, but which they will want to avoid more than the Group of Permanent Injury or the less difficult, but nevertheless potentially challenging Group of Unfortunate Infection.

“I just hope that we won’t end up in the toughest group,” said French federation president Jean-Pierre Escalettes.

Never mind, even if you do Jean-Pierre, I’m sure you’ll handle it (in true French tradition).

US coach Bob Bradley said his team was hoping for a group in which they would have a “good opportunity to move forward.”

This is the sort of coach I like. Not one of those coaches that comes out with lines like “I really want us to fall at the first hurdle” or “I hope we lose all our games”. That’s positive thinking right there, Mr Bradley and it’s to your credit. Nice work.   

Tomorrow on 6000 miles…, we continue our exploration into the possible religious views of the Pope and the defaecation habits of ursines.

Beckham lauds SA

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LA Galaxy, AC Milan and England midfielder David Beckham is here in Cape Town for the World Cup Draw tomorrow evening and took time out of his busy schedule with FIFA to give an interview to… FIFA. Unsurprisingly, (for all the reasons you are thinking of, be they contractual or otherwise) he seems happy to be here:

When I was last here with England, I had the honour of meeting Nelson Mandela. That was the highlight of my career; to meet such a great man and a strong man and such a passionate man about sport and life will always stay with me. Then I played in the game and broke my arm! South Africa is such a great country and a sporting nation that deserves this World Cup. I think it will be a very memorable and special one.

And on Cape Town’s preparations for 2010:

When you visit the country that a tournament is being held in before the event, you get a special feeling. As the time approaches, you notice that feeling intensify. As soon as I landed here in Cape Town, I noticed changes in the roads, as well as new hotels and it seemed as though the people’s excitement was tangible. There’s no better feeling than that.

And he’s right. I’m beginning to notice that projects are nearing their end. The N2 is almost quite wide again. The N1 is really wide. I was at the airport last night and was astounded at the progress that has been made. The Stadium handover is only a few days away. My study is built and has a great view from the window.
As for the vibe – I mentioned it here – you just know that there is something very special going on right now. And if this is what it’s like for some balls being taken out of goldfish bowls, then I can only begin to imagine what next June is going to be like. Aside from greyer and damper, obviously. But it will be party time in the rain, believe me.

There are those who were fine with the road closures for their private party, but who are bitching about other people having fun; complaining about the security and the hugely busy CBD, moaning about the helicopters flying over the City Bowl; but they just don’t get it. This is big. Bigger than a little awards ceremony, bigger than your beloved rugby, bigger even than the end of Apartheid, according to some people in the know. Sure, you’ve never seen anything like it and you don’t want to be part of it, but doing your best to justify that decision while those around you are being swayed by the feeling is really not pretty.