World Cup Bafana Bafana 2010

Ferguson unhappy about England friendly

worldcupbafanabafana2010 — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 08:52:00 +0000

Manchester United boss Alex Ferguson has picked on England’s forthcoming friendly against Brazil as part of his ongoing campaign to avoid talking about his side’s Premiership issues. First, a certain ref is called “unfit”. Then all of the major decisions go against United last weekend, even though Ferguson didn’t want to “take anything away” from Liverpool. And now the Doha friendly is more about money and a “nice day out”. He’s probably right about at least one of these, but the timing is suspicious. We’ve all known about this match for ages, so why draw attention to his frustrations on the eve of another Premiership weekend? Oh, I see.

The Steven Gerrard injury situation could be bad news for England and Liverpool. While other papers coyly talk about ‘surgery’, The Daily Mail’s headline explains exactly what that might mean for any of its readers who are perhaps slow on the uptake. Thanks, Daily Mail.

You’d think someone from the Southern hemisphere would know it is winter in South Africa when it is summer in the Northern hemisphere and vice versa. So perhaps this Aussie player might want to stock up on jumpers if his experience of playing in Hartlepool has taught him anything. It gets cold at night out there in South Africa, you wuss.

In 1981 the second leg of the European Cup semi final between Bayern Munich and Liverpool was given an extra special edge with the appearance of flyers telling the Germans how to get to Paris for the final. So the appearance of a special World Cup strip for France should be all the incentive the Irish need ahead of next month’s play off games. For the record, Liverpool went through on away goals.

World Cup Bafana Bafana 2010 afternoon headlines

worldcupbafanabafana2010 — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 16:19:00 +0000

Since familiarity with Arabic, French or Egyptian is not my strong point I can’t claim to know what the equivalent of ‘finely balanced’ is in any of these languages. But I do know this phrase is bound to be on the lips of commentators as the African Group C clash between Egypt and Algeria approaches. Along with ‘on a knife edge’, ‘going to the wire’ and ‘anything can happen’, I imagine. Here’s the explanation why things are so tense in this group.

Taking a break from plotting the downfall of capitalism in Britain, here is The Morning Star talking up the chances of Arsenal full back Kieran Gibbs making the England squad for South Africa. I like the way the journalist admits Gibbs isn’t even first choice for his club but ploughs on to make his redundant point anyway. If I was clever I would point out the parallels between this style and that of the paper’s one – time owners, the Communist Party of Great Britain. But I’m not, so I’ll leave you to judge this for yourselves.

Comedian Lenny Bruce did and said a lot of things before his untimely death in 1966, but not even he could have foreseen one of his routines being repeated during the forthcoming World Cup. Noticing the growing use of entrapment by male police officers dressed up as women and sent out to find rapists, Bruce predicted the assailants would carry on anyway “because most of them are so hardcore”. It would be self-defeating and stupid, he believed. Which begs the question, have the people behind this idea really thought it through?

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Hooligan debate in England and Italy

worldcupbafanabafana2010 — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 08:46:00 +0000

No one wants to take the blame and everyone else is wrong. That appears to be the mature assessment of the current hooligan debate which is dragging Fabio Capello into trouble with his countrymen in Italy.

New Zealand – Bahrain Asia/Oceania Inter-Continental Play-Off build up

You can see the dilemma the people behind New Zealand’s All Whites tag had when searching for a football nom de plume. The All Blacks, one of the most well known and historic team descriptions in sporting history, was already taken, and by a rugby side. That must have been irritating, although they probably kept quiet because you wouldn’t want to upset the All Blacks. That’s just asking for trouble. Anyway, the much-anticipated New Zealand – Bahrain Asia/Oceania Inter-Continental Play-Off for the Right to Be Officially Known as World Cup 2010 Whipping Boys second leg is nearly upon us. The first leg ended 0 – 0. Here’s how 3 News in New Zealand are looking forward to the match.

Cycling to the World Cup

More news now on the loon who is cycling from Norway to South Africa in aid of the Norwegian Refugee Council. In case you don’t know, Bjorn Heidenstrom is collecting shirts from football teams and fans along the way. His intention is to create the world’s biggest football shirt. If you’re in Spain next month try to say hello.

It’s child’s play for Maradona’s lawyers

And as Diego Maradona faces the possibility of a ban which could mean he is unable to coach cajole Argentina next summer, his lawyers are working overtime to get him off the hook – by describing his emotional state prior to the recent crucial qualifier against Uruguay. Saying someone was upset and hoping they get off works well for three-year-olds. It remains to be seen whether FIFA will see through this transparent ruse.

Future of England national side in doubt

worldcupbafanabafana2010 — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 08:50:00 +0000

Here’s a cheery thought: the commercial pressures on English Premier League sides mean they will continue to import players from abroad at the expense of homegrown talent. This trend will inevitably have a negative impact on the national side. South Africa 2010 is, in the words of this author, “our last real opportunity”. Oh.

The good news is Chelsea manager Carlo Ancelotti maintains John Terry and Frank Lampard will be fit and ready for this last hurrah. Leaving aside the thought that the Italian could hardly say anything else on the subject, I couldn’t help notice some omissions in this ESPN article. OK, Joe Cole gets a mention, and rightly so because a fit Cole is an absolute must for England next year. But what about his namesake Ashley? He might even play in the Consolation Cup against Bolton. Being ignored by your manager and forced to trot out for a few pointless passes and tackles are never good signs.

Talking of bad signs, just in case anyone was thinking of having a go because this blog recently made reference to Rio Ferdinand’s shaky start to the season, you need to know something – the bookies are on his case and they usually know a thing or two about these issues. So I’m not alone.

Atheists. They’re everywhere with their rationalistic non-superstitious superior view of the world. Why can’t they just accept the Earth was made in seven days and fossils are one of His favourite jokes? If God made atheists in his own image he’s probably quite annoyed now. Here they are banging on about cows.

Special World Cup Bafana Bafana 2010 Irish ticket allocation scandal issue

worldcupbafanabafana2010 — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 16:23:00 +0000

Last week it was announced that French coach Raymond Domenech had got his way after moaning about the possibility of 30,000 Irish supporters turning up for the home game against the Republic of Ireland on November 18th.

The good news this week is Irish assistant manager Marco Tardelli’s reaction. “We don’t fear them,” growled the scorer of Italy’s last goal in the 1982 World Cup final, “the French will be giving their tickets away once we batter them at Croke Park”.

OK, he didn’t say the last bit, but Tardelli knows the Irish will turn up en masse anyway just to surprise the French. He is, after all, an avid reader of The Belfast Telegraph.

Anyway, let’s hope the Irish can win the home leg and then repeat the 0-0 score line from 1984 which you can relive in the special World Cup Bafana Bafana 2010 Irish ticket allocation scandal YouTube footage:

Do you want to watch football in 3D?

worldcupbafanabafana2010 — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 08:49:00 +0000

Picture the scene. England have a free kick in the dying seconds of their World Cup semi final against Italy. Gerrard whips in a cross which evades the Italian defenders and falls to the feet of an unmarked Wayne Rooney. The tackles fly in but the Man United striker somehow manages to scoop the ball across the line. Cue bedlam as fans realise England are in the final. Then Rooney runs towards the camera and suddenly his Shrek-like features are emerging from the screen and you’re so terrified you run as if the hounds of Hell themselves are chasing you. That’s what might happen if you watch football in 3D. Don’t say you haven’t been warned.

Who am I? I am an emerging superpower but my team is ranked No. 102 in the world, with the Cape Verde Islands and Estonia on either side. So I’m not happy. It’s time for a change, say the central leadership. I am China, and my football future is bleak.

What classic World Cup games would you like to see? I’ve put a YouTube button on the blog, which means I can change the footage depending on what you want to watch. Let me know what you think.

While there are still some World Cup qualification games to be played next month, most notably in Africa and Europe, the lucky qualifiers are already starting to show off in friendly matches. And here’s a list of what you can expect in November once the excitement over the New Zealand – Bahrain Asia/Oceania Inter-Continental Play-Off has died down:

Spain – Argentina

South Africa – Japan

Wales – Scotland

Slovakia – USA

Brazil – England

Germany – Chile

Italy – Netherlands

Netherlands – Paraguay

Austria – Spain

Denmark – USA

Korea Republic – Serbia

Italy – Sweden

Germany – Ivory Coast

More news on the official England World Cup song

worldcupbafanabafana2010 — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 08:51:00 +0000

This is a worrying time for anyone with a sense of history or, failing that, a pair of ears. Nineties heartthrobs Take That are set to record the official England World Cup song for South Africa 2010. I still prefer the unofficial song, Rik Mayall’s Noble England, which you can find out more about at http://www.nobleengland.com/.

Even his most loyal supporters would concede Rio Ferdinand has had an indifferent start to the season. The sight of a barely fit Torres shrugging him off to score during yesterday’s game at Anfield may give Alex Ferguson and Fabio Capello nightmares unless the defender improves, suggests this Reuters article.

So Carlos Alberto Parreira is back, but not for long. The Brazilian is in the South Africa manager’s hot seat up to the World Cup and will be replaced by a native coach once the tournament is over. Is Pitso Mosimane the man who will eventually take over?

And Argentina in 1978 is perhaps the best example of a regime using success on the football field to bolster its own credibility. It would appear that the leaders of the recent coup in Honduras and the ex-President hiding in the Brazilian embassy are trying to do something similar but they’ve been rumbled.

How we used to do World Cup bids

worldcupbafanabafana2010 — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 14:45:00 +0000

OK, it failed, but this When Saturday Comes article on England’s bid to host the 2006 World Cup reminds us of a time when players from the victorious 1966 side were acknowledged as important. The current bid committee chose Michael Ballack, Sven Goran Eriksson, and the man who cleans the public toilets in Aberdeen, a certain Wee Jock Poo Pong McPlop, whose allegiances, unlike Ballack’s and Eriksson’s, must surely be questioned.

Today the Internet is awash with reports about the impending slaughter of cows at South Africa’s new World Cup stadiums. Check out the hurried response from FIFA at the end, which was in all probability followed by doors slamming and someone shouting “Get me the President on the phone NOW!”

Behind the news curve as usual, the FIFA site plumps for some dull stuff about Ronaldo’s (the Portuguese grass hugger rather than the Portuguese speaking pie eater) ankle and the news that Diego Maradona will bring his “How to harangue journalists” workshop to Munich next year for a pre-World Cup friendly. And inexplicably, Stephen Warnock talks up his chances of making the squad for next year.

England 2018 Ambassadors Squad lacks 1966 sparkle

worldcupbafanabafana2010 — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 07:55:00 +0000

The England 2018 Ambassadors Squad has finally been unveiled:

Aaron Mokoena (South Africa), Alan Shearer, Alexandre Song (Cameroon), Andrew Cole, Ashley Young, Brian Deane, Bryan Robson, Carlos Edwards (Trinidad & Tobago), Chris Powell, Cyrille Regis, David Beckham, David James, David Seaman, David Clarke (England Blind Squad) Des Walker, Emile Heskey, Eniola Aluko, Faye White, Gareth Southgate, Gary Lineker, Gary Mabbutt, Gianfranco Zola (Italy), Glenn Hoddle, Graeme Le Saux, Graham Taylor, Howard Wilkinson, James Milner, John Barnes, John Obi Mikel (Nigeria), John Terry, Joseph Yobo (Nigeria), Kanu (Nigeria), Kenwyne Jones (Trinidad & Tobago), Kelly Smith, Kolo Toure (Ivory Coast), Lucas Radebe (South Africa), Luther Blissett , Michael Ballack (Germany), Michael Barker (England Cerebral Palsy Squad), Michael Chopra, Michael Essien (Ghana), Muzzy Izzet (Turkey), Osvaldo Ardiles (Argentina), Paul Elliott, Paul Ince, Paul Parker, Peter Beardsley, Peter Crouch, Peter Shilton, Phil Neville, Ray Clemence, Ray Wilkins, Rachel Brown, Ricardo Villa (Argentina), Rio Ferdinand, Robbie Earle (Jamaica) Roberto Di Matteo (Italy), Robinho (Brazil), Roque Santa Cruz (Paraguay), Salomon Kalou (Ivory Coast), Sol Campbell, Steven Gerrard, Steven Pienaar (South Africa), Stuart Pearce, Sven Goran Eriksson (Sweden), Teddy Sheringham, Terry Venables, Tony Adams, Tony Woodcock, Victor Anichebe (Nigeria), Viv Anderson, Wayne Rooney, Zesh Rehman (Pakistan).

There isn’t a single representative from the 1966 World Cup winning team. Do these men have some kind of aversion to handbags? Anyway, here’s a great description of the squad by Harry Harris of ESPN. Harris’s explanation of why Glenn Hoddle was sacked as England manager is a masterclass in understatement.

The Unofficial Football World Championships is ideal if you are bored of the World Cup, Scottish or both. I’m neither bored nor Scottish but I like this site anyway.

Mexico may come to England for a pre-World Cup friendly next May. Or they may not. Nobody really knows until the draw for the finals is made on December 4th.

And here’s an interesting article on a relic of the Cold War: East Germany’s DDR-Oberliga. Find out why “Relocation, Relocation, Relocation was a popular Thursday night filler on East German television throughout the Fifties and Sixties as fans tuned in to see where their club might go next”.

If the BNP were in power, who could play for England?

worldcupbafanabafana2010 — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 07:46:00 +0000

Here’s a frightening thought. It’s the World Cup Final in 2030. England enter the arena flanked by their Brazilian opponents. But there’s something wrong with the Brazilians. While the English chat and exchange nervous laughter, the South Americans are, well, robotic. That’s because the people behind this idea have finally got their way.

Franck Ribery looks likely to miss the World Cup play off matches against the Republic of Ireland, according to ESPN. Something about knees and tendinitis. Ouch.

“A group of German soccer stars traipsing around Pretoria in bulletproof vests with armed bodyguards swirling around them like barmaids at a beer fest.” As usual, the story about German players wearing bullet-proof vests owes more to enterprising journalism than any actual facts.

And as the BNP prepares to take its bow on the BBC’s Question Time, this article ponders exactly who Fabio Capello could take to South Africa next year if the policy of repatriating “anyone whose ancestors do not come from the earliest settlers here after the last great Ice Age, as complemented by the historic migrations from mainland Europe (the BNP’s definition of indigenous Britons)” was ever enforced.

Price hike on play off flights to Paris shock

worldcupbafanabafana2010 — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 07:50:00 +0000

Ronaldo is trying to resurrect his Brazil career with some not so subtle brown nosing of coach Dunga. The PR department of the South African Association of Pie Manufacturers went into meltdown at the news.

Whether you dream of recreating the famous Cruyff turn from the 1974 finals or see yourself as Gerry Armstrong scoring against Spain in 1982, now you have the chance to do both in your own back garden. It’s called the Official Historical World Cup Soccer Ball Set of 10, otherwise known as the perfect way to show off when your mates come round.

C’est la guerre. French manager Raymond Domenech has annoyed Irish journalists by referring to the Republic’s team as “the England Bs”. He also does a good line in Gallic shrugs, apparently.

Maybe these journos are enjoying cut price flights to Paris, which could explain why they aren’t yet moaning about this.

X Factor-style choice of Man of the Match for future England games

worldcupbafanabafana2010 — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 15:29:00 +0000

Beckham MOTM controversy

The only good news about this X-Factor story is Steve Bruce threatening to quit as a TV pundit because his choice of David Beckham as MOTM against Belarus caused so much controversy. Good riddance to him if it happens. Your average two-year-old could provide more sophisticated analysis than this dufus.

FIFA President not welcome in Blatterville

Sepp Blatter admits FIFA mishandled the seedings issue. So that’s alright then. Now he hopes to stay on as FIFA President after 2011 “otherwise I’ll go back to my village”. A spokesman for Blatterville, a small town just south of Zurich, said “Honestly, we’d had enough of the guy back in his days as president of the World Society of Friends of Suspenders. His chairmanship of the Zurich Brown Shirts was no bed of roses either. Imagine the trouble that caused with, well, everyone.”

Possible African World Cup play off

Germany has been forced to change opponents for a World Cup warm up game because of a potential African World Cup play off. Here’s the full story from the BBC.

Michael Owen must score goals to have World Cup chance

And talking yourself up in the press is no substitute for scoring goals, argues The Guardian’s Paul Wilson.

Santana – pushed or did he jump?

worldcupbafanabafana2010 — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 07:48:00 +0000

Can France cope with 30,000 Irish fans humming La Marseillaise? That’s the prospect facing them again after yesterday’s draw. Of course boss Giovanni Trapattoni has weightier strategic issues on his mind after admitting his team must raised their game once more to overcome the 2006 finalists.

You have to take your hat off to the people at Football Rankings. They spend ages working out complicated formulas which mere mortals such as you and I might pretend to understand but actually don’t. Here they are on the possibilities for the World Cup finals draw in December.

And there is some confusion over the manner of Joel Santana’s departure as South African coach. Africa Times News says he was sacked, as does bloomberg.com, the AFP news agency and Reuters. The blog world says Santana jumped before he was pushed, knowing he was on borrowed time. In all likelihood, both sides agreed enough was enough, but “amicable split” isn’t much of a headline. Hence the sacked and fired stories. Former coach Carlos Alberto Parreira heads the list of candidates to take over.

More on the World Cup play offs draw

worldcupbafanabafana2010 — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 15:16:00 +0000

Asked who he would prefer prior to the draw FAI chief executive John Delaney said “We do better against the bigger teams. We did that against Italy over two legs, we were very good. People differ on whether France are still a top team, or whether Domenech is a top manager or not, but whoever we get, we’ll give them a run for their money.”

Fair enough; now we’ll find out the truth about the French, and whether the Irish are worthy of a finals place or not. Tony Cascarino thinks he knows the answer. “What a difficult draw… for France” is how his Times column begins this afternoon.

Aside from who plays at home first, there really isn’t much more you need to know about the Russia – Slovenia play off games. That’s a view you won’t find the official Slovenian Press Agency agreeing with. They have more information – and they want you to pay for it! Let’s hope subscribers can learn how the two play off games between the sides will “determine the remaining four European national football teams to play in the 2010 World Cup in South Africa.” Teams contesting the other play off ties will presumably want to know why their games are meaningless.

And you just know the Russians are paying lip service to the “no mugs in this competition” ethos with comments like this.

World Cup play off draw revealed

worldcupbafanabafana2010 — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 11:57:00 +0000

That was an eerie experience. I’m pretty certain the preamble to the main event on FIFA’s website was preceded by music Lenny Bruce used to warm up hip sixties crowds. Weird.

Then FIFA’s live stream failed, leaving me feeling like a seventy-five-year old redneck at a Bruce gig; out of touch and disorientated.

Anyway, we got there in the end…

The Republic of Ireland will face France over two legs for a World Cup finals place. The rest of the draw: Portugal – Bosnia; Greece – Ukraine; Russia – Slovenia.

I’ll have a reaction from some of the participants later this afternoon.