Archive for the 'Africa' Category

Sony Music Entertainment has begun work on the official music album to be released in conjunction with the upcoming 2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa(TM).

The album will be a charity driven project, with all of Sony Music’s net profits being donated to Africa-related charities and all of FIFA’s net profits being donated to the Official Campaign of the 2010 FIFA World Cup(TM) “20 Centres for 2010″ which will create 20 Football for Hope Centres for education, public health and football in disadvantaged communities across Africa.

In addition to the official album, Sony Music will be releasing three official songs, including the official song of the official event mascot Zakumi.

Discussions are already underway with a range of superstar artists about their participation in this World Cup album.

The album will feature creative collaborations between local African and international artists, with an expected release in the weeks preceding the event, which begins in June 2010.

Sony Music Entertainment is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Sony Corp., an Official Partner of the FIFA World Cup 2010 South Africa(TM).

For more information on FIFA and its competitions, especially the 2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa(TM), please visit the official website at www.FIFA.com.

Source: Sony Music Entertainment

The FIFA Organising Committee approved today the procedure for the Final Draw of the 2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa™, which will be held in Cape Town on Friday 4 December. The seeding was based on the October 2009 FIFA/Coca-Cola World Ranking (which you can see by clicking on the link to the right), and Brazil, Spain, the Netherlands, Italy, Germany, Argentina and England are therefore the seven squads that join hosts South Africa as seeded teams for the Final Draw.

The committee also approved the composition of the other pots as well as the procedure for the final draw:

• Pot 2 will be composed of teams from Asia (Australia, Japan, Korea DPR, Korea Republic), North, Central America and the Caribbean (Honduras, Mexico, USA) and Oceania (New Zealand)

• Pot 3 will include teams from Africa (Algeria, Cameroon, Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana, Nigeria) and South America (Chile, Paraguay, Uruguay)

• Pot 4 will have the remaining European teams (Denmark, France, Greece, Portugal, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia and Switzerland)

• hosts South Africa will be automatically positioned as A1; the other seeded teams will be drawn into the other groups B-H, but will always be in position “1” of their group

• groups will be drawn from A to H and the positions in the group will be drawn for Pots 2 to 4

• geographical criteria will also be respected, meaning that no two teams from the same confederation will be drawn in the same group (except European teams, where a maximum of two will be in a group). For example, South Africa cannot play the African teams from Pot 3 and Argentina and Brazil cannot be drawn against the three remaining South American teams.

The competition that began in front of 60 supporters on the Pacific island of Samoa on 25 August 2007 was wrapped up early on Thursday morning (CET) in Montevideo, when Uruguay completed the line-up of teams that will compete at the 2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa™. As always, the lengthiest football tournament in the world offered up a wealth of facts and figures.

No fewer than 853 matches were played across the six confederations to determine which 31 of the 200 participating countries (more than ever before) would vie for world football’s crown alongside hosts South Africa next year.

There was an encouraging growth in attendance figures. Some 20 million fans – an average of almost 23,000 per match – flocked to the stadiums, creating a new attendance record in the history of the FIFA World Cup™ preliminary competition.

However, there was a downward trend in the number of goals scored, with the total of 2,344 – or 2.75 per match – representing the lowest average since the preliminary competition for the finals in Italy in 1990.

The Grammy award-winning Soweto Gospel Choir, Beninoise singer-songwriter Angélique Kidjo and one of South Africa’s greatest music exports Johnny Clegg will provide a star-studded line-up for the Final Draw for the 2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa™ in Cape Town on 4 December (19.00 local time/18.00 CET).

The 90-minute live show at the Cape Town International Convention Centre (CTICC) promises a whole host of stunning African-inspired visual and acoustic treats with international appeal. These will include guest appearances by some of the biggest names in sport as they descend on South Africa for the eagerly anticipated Final Draw to decide whom and where the 32 qualified teams will be playing.

With the Final Draw being broadcast to no fewer than 200 countries around the world, this will mark another unprecedented milestone in the history of the FIFA World Cup. The Final Draw in Germany, December 2005 attracted a cumulative television audience of 134.5 million and was shown live in 137 countries. “We are very proud to be a part of the Final Draw for the 2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa. It is an incredible opportunity,” said Beverly Bryer, founder and manager of the choir. The choir will perform alongside Johnny Clegg, a well-known campaigner against the injustice of apartheid in South Africa who has been instrumental in putting the new South Africa on the map.

“The FIFA World Cup Final Draw has developed into a major live show that is followed with great excitement by millions of people across the world. It will reignite the 2010 FIFA World Cup fever not just in the host country but also in the qualified countries, where excitement is mounting as we draw nearer to next year’s FIFA flagship event,” said FIFA Secretary General Jérôme Valcke, who will conduct the draw.

The South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC) has once again been appointed by FIFA for the production of the Final Draw show, while HBS (Host Broadcasting Services) will deliver broadcast signals worldwide in its capacity as overall Host Broadcaster. After producing two successful world-class draw shows at the Preliminary Draw in November 2007 in Durban and the draw for the FIFA Confederations Cup in November 2008 in Johannesburg, the SABC has again commissioned the expertise of Combined Artists to enhance the show.

“This Final Draw has all the ingredients to capture the imagination of the watching world. We look forward to finally welcoming the 32 qualifying countries to Africa to share in the rhythm and energy of our continent, and are certain that this event will provide the perfect prelude to Africa’s first FIFA World Cup,” said Danny Jordaan, CEO of the FIFA World Cup Organising Committee.

Africa Adventure Consultants Launches New World Cup Africa Travel Programs

World Cup 2010 soccer news is heating up. With England, Spain and Paraguay all recently qualifying for the games this coming May, the thousands of North American soccer fans with tickets in hand are starting to get serious about travel planning to South Africa. Africa Adventure Consultants today announced two new World Cup Africa travel packages to South Africa, developed especially for the World Cup 2010.

“We’re thrilled that the African continent will be hosting the World Cup in 2010,” says Kent Redding, the company’s president. “World Cup soccer travelers will be among the massive numbers of people who will be descending on South Africa’s cities for the games, so we’re really working hard with our partners on the ground in South Africa to get our clients the best experience for the best value in June and July 2010. Of course no trip to Africa is complete without a big game safari experience and we’re excited to launch these fantastic programs created especially for these soccer fans.”

On Africa Adventure Consultant’s World Cup Guided Safari, travelers visit a game reserve in Zululand plus two private reserves near Kruger National Park. Understanding that most North American travelers have limited vacation time, and to optimize time on the ground, travelers will have private road transfers and easy internal flights between camps. Priced at $5,499 for a 10-day safari, this World Cup Africa travel program provides an outstanding opportunity to experience both the wildlife and culture of South Africa, along with soccer of course. See the full itinerary here: http://www.adventuresinafrica.com/adventures.trips.aspx?trip_id=167

For more adventurous travelers, Africa Adventure Consultants has launched the World Cup Self Drive Safari. Priced at the great value of $2,999 per person, before or after World Cup matches travelers can enjoy three unique regions of Southern Africa including Zululand, Swaziland and the Manyaletti Game Reserve near Kruger. Designed for those interested in both wildlife and culture, this tour utilizes self-drive rental cars, plus guided safari experiences. See the full itinerary here: http://www.adventuresinafrica.com/adventures.trips.aspx?trip_id=166

In addition to World Cup Africa travel, Denver-based African safari expert Africa Adventure Consultants organizes safari adventures throughout East and Southern Africa, with destinations including Tanzania, Kenya, South Africa, Uganda, Namibia, Botswana, Malawi, South Africa, Rwanda, Zambia, Victoria Falls and Ethiopia. The company sells destinations they know personally and offer guests assurance of strong on-the-ground partnerships with only the best local companies. Africa Adventure Consultants supports a variety of African conservation organizations, community-based tourism programs and humanitarian causes. And now, the company runs a completely carbon-neutral office in Denver and is further committed to carbon-neutral safaris by automatically offsetting 50% of each African trip they sell as well as offering clients the opportunity to offset the remaining 50%. With an eye on personal service, the principals create carbon-neutral safaris and customized trips for individuals and small groups. To learn more, please call 1.866.778.1089 or visit http://www.adventuresinafrica.com/index.aspx.

Source: Africa Adventure Consultants

The FIFA Confederations Cup is seen by some as the ultimate test of the host country’s aptitude to stage the FIFA World Cup the following year. By this measure then, South Africa has been given a big thumbs-up by its own citizens according to the latest market research conducted on FIFA’s behalf in the host country of the 2010 FIFA World Cup.

In the third instalment of a six-wave public opinion tracking study carried out by international research company SPORT+MARKT soon after the final whistle at the FIFA Confederations Cup in June, 87% of South Africans stated that they were convinced their country would be ready to host the competition. This level has steadily risen since the first wave of this study in December 2008, when 73% declared their confidence, followed by 83% in March 2009.

Not only are the South Africans confident about their country being prepared to host the world’s most-watched sports event, but 89% are also convinced it will be a resounding success (Wave I: 80%, Wave II 86%). What is more, the findings suggest that respondents are keenly aware of the benefits the FIFA World Cup can have on some of South Africa’s key public sectors – such as boosting the economy and job creation (90%), improving public infrastructure (91%) and strengthening the tourism industry (97%).

Despite the pride and eager anticipation felt in advance of the tournament arriving on the African continent for the first time, they also acknowledge the challenges posed by crime and the country’s developing infrastructure. The study indicated that 66% of residents believe crime will be an issue for visitors to the tournament (up from 58% in the last wave), 77% are concerned that local businesses will exploit the tournament to inflate their prices (up from 59%), while one in every two respondents fears the transport infrastructure is below par (up from 42%).

These higher scores can in part be attributed to an increased awareness of the upcoming 2010 FIFA World Cup following the widespread coverage in the media of the FIFA Confederations Cup, where the South African national team defied expectations to reach the semi-finals. The scores reflect a higher sensitivity to all aspects of hosting the FIFA World Cup and an anxious enthusiasm to put on a good show for the watching world.

This urban representative survey was conducted amongst 1,004 South African respondents in all major cities and 2010 FIFA World Cup™ Host Cities, with quotas for ethnic origin, age and gender. Interviewing was conducted face-to-face in calendar weeks 28-29.

FIFA President Joseph S. Blatter was welcomed to the White House yesterday by US President Barack Obama. The Washington visit concluded the FIFA President’s four-day trip to the USA.

The delegation led by Joseph S. Blatter included FIFA Vice-President and CONCACAF President Jack Warner, FIFA Secretary General Jérôme Valcke and US Soccer Federation President Sunil Gulati. The FIFA President held numerous meetings with representatives from the worlds of sport and politics during his trip and, accompanied by FIFA Secretary General Jérôme Valcke, attended the final of the 2009 CONCACAF Gold Cup at Giants Stadium in New York. During the meeting at the White House, the FIFA President took the opportunity to officially invite Barack Obama to the 2010 FIFA World Cup™ in South Africa.

Joseph S. Blatter presented the US President with a personally signed certificate inviting Obama and his family to all of the matches of the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa. Barack Obama said he would have his schedule checked to see when it would be possible for him to attend the upcoming World Cup.

Among the topics the US President discussed with Joseph S. Blatter was the USA’s bid to host either the 2018 or 2022 World Cup. Barack Obama also acknowledged the work carried out by FIFA and the FIFA President Joseph S. Blatter, commending in particular FIFA’s efforts in respect of the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa, which also incorporate community service, education and public health projects. Joseph S. Blatter presented the US President with a football from the final of the Confederations Cup, held in South Africa in June, which the USA lost 3-2 to Brazil.

Stimulating discussions with Swiss ambassadors
Directly after his visit to the White House, Joseph S. Blatter met with the Swiss ambassador to the USA, Urs Ziswiler. The meeting, which was also attended by Sunil Gulati, was held at the ambassador’s residence in Washington. The discussions centred on the FIFA President’s visit to the White House as well as Swiss sports politics. The day before, the FIFA President had met with the Swiss ambassador to the United Nations, Peter Maurer. Among the topics they touched on were the football-based development projects FIFA is implementing worldwide – particularly in Africa – with the support of the United Nations.

Increasing popularity of football in the USA
Joseph S. Blatter held animated discussions with Jack Warner and Sunil Gulati in New York on Saturday about the potential for the further development of football in the USA. The FIFA President stressed in particular the importance of football having its own stadiums, as existing American stadiums are often too big. Blatter also argued that the US match calendar should be brought in line with the international match calendar to encourage more top US players to play in the national league. Currently, many top US players are signed to European clubs.

Major coverage in the US media
The FIFA President’s four-day trip to the USA was given major coverage in the North American media. Further interest was generated by the 2009 CONCACAF Gold Cup final between the USA and Mexico held at the Giants Stadium (New Jersey) on Sunday, which Mexico won 5-0.

Official statement from the White House
(released on 27 July 2009 by the Office of the Press Secretary)

Readout of the President’s Meeting with FIFA President Joseph Blatter
The President welcomed FIFA President Blatter to the White House and urged Mr. Blatter to give strong consideration to the US bid to host the World Cup in either 2018 or 2022. During the half-hour meeting in the Oval Office, President Obama complimented FIFA on their efforts to incorporate community service, education and public health projects into their plans for staging the 2010 World Cup in South Africa. President Obama thanked Mr. Blatter for inviting him to attend next year’s event and said he hoped his schedule would allow him to do so. The President also thanked Mr. Blatter for the soccer balls that he brought with him as a gift for the President’s soccer-playing daughters.

In just one year, on June 11, 2010, the ball will drop on the 19th World Cup of Soccer. Thirty days and sixty four matches later a new World Champion will be crowned and it is every soccer fan’s dream to experience their team achieving this ultimate goal. More than half a million fans from around the world are expected to embark on a pilgrimage to South Africa to be a part of the festivities with wise travelers already snapping up premium positions and making plans to be a part of this first African World Cup.

Well known sports travel specialists, Roadtrips, has a variety of travel packages available for the World Cup including packages based out of Johannesburg, Cape Town, packages to Round Robin matches, Follow Your Team experiences and packages that feature the key Semi-Final and Final matches of the tournament.

“Roadtrips has been preparing for the 2010 World Cup in South Africa for three years; working with local destination management suppliers and acquiring premium accommodations at the best hotels and safari lodges in the country,” says Dave Guenther, Roadtrips President. “From our experience, South Africa is a wonderful place. It’s going to look amazing on television but that won’t remotely compare to how great it will be to be there.”

Roadtrips’ packages for World Cup 2010 feature tickets to your choice of match(es) and premium accommodations at some of South Africa’s top rated hotels including the award winning Grace in Rosebank, The Saxon in Sandton, Johannesburg and, The Cape Grace in Cape Town. Exclusive access to deluxe safari lodges, excursions to top sites like Victoria Falls and a variety of day tours and private guide services are also part of the Roadtrips World Cup program with each traveler having the option of customizing their African experience for their perfect balance between soccer, safaris and other sightseeing.

Packages start from $2,625 USD p.p. based on double occupancy. For more information on Roadtrips’ World Cup package options visit www.roadtrips.com.

A recognized leader in the sports travel industry, Roadtrips has been creating memorable experiences to exciting sporting events and games for over 17 years. Roadtrips offers a wide variety of sports travel packages to the biggest events in sports, including trips to the Super Bowl, World Series, Winter Games and 2010 World Cup of Soccer in South Africa.

Source: Roadtrips

The prospect of playing host in 2010 to the most-watched sports event on earth – the FIFA World Cup™ – is giving South African pride and confidence a solid boost according to the latest market research conducted on FIFA’s behalf. These findings are from the second instalment of a six-wave public opinion survey and show a pronounced upward trend in South Africans’ anticipation of the event as well as a deeper understanding of the benefits it can bring to the host nation.

The results of the survey, which was carried out by international research agency SPORT+MARKT, come just one month before South Africa prepares to host the FIFA Confederations Cup. Given that this tournament is regarded by many as the “championship of champions” and is a major international sporting event, the survey suggests that South Africa is more than ready to embrace world-class football and recognise the legacy such tournaments can leave behind.

The following are key extracts from the findings (percentage point change from the first-wave scores in January 2009 in brackets):

• Big leap in confidence – 83 per cent feel their country will be ready to host the 2010 FIFA World Cup (+10)
• An overwhelming 94 per cent (+6) are proud that South Africa is hosting the competition, with 89 per cent (+8) saying the event will bring long-term benefits to the country
• 92 per cent (+5) believe that hosting the competition will lead to an upgrade in infrastructure, notably public transport, roads and telecommunications
• 90 per cent (+7) believe the FIFA World Cup will improve South Africa’s image abroad
• 96 per cent (+5) expect the competition to be a fillip for the country’s tourism industry
• South Africans are determined to enjoy the FIFA World Cup irrespective of Bafana Bafana’s performance. 86 per cent say their interest is unaffected by the performance of the national team (no comparison as this question was not asked in the first wave).

Lingering doubts do remain, however: 58 per cent of respondents believe that crime will be a concern for visitors to the FIFA World Cup, with the same amount anticipating increased congestion problems in South African cities. Furthermore, 59 per cent have concerns about the possibility of inflated prices in South Africa as a result of the tournament.

NB: This urban representative survey was conducted amongst 1,000 South African respondents in all major cities and 2010 FIFA World Cup Host Cities, with quotas for ethnic origin, age and gender. Interviewing was conducted face-to-face in calendar weeks 13-15.

Mauritius has teamed up with the 2010 FIFA World Cup^TM to join Botswana, Mozambique, Namibia, Swaziland and hosts South Africa in a top line-up of accommodation providers. The initiative, which was announced on the occasion of the 2009 Tourism INDABA in Durban by Honourable Xavier Luc Duval, Vice Prime Minister and Minister of Tourism, Leisure and External Communications, Dr. Danny Jordaan, CEO of the 2010 FIFA World Cup Organising Committee and Jaime Byrom, CEO of MATCH (FIFA’s servicing partner for accommodation), forms part of FIFA’s and the Organising Committee’s objective to host an African World Cup and make sure that the entire Southern African region benefits from the global football showpiece.

“We always said it is Africa’s World Cup. To be part of the 2010 accommodation programme is a great marketing opportunity for the tourism industry in the entire Southern African region to directly benefit from the 2010 FIFA World Cup. Mauritius and the other Southern African countries in the accommodation team have the unique chance to showcase fans from all over the world during the four weeks between 11 June and 11 July 2010 the splendid and diverse landscapes and the incredible hospitality the region has to offer,” explained FIFA Secretary General Jérôme Valcke.

The incorporation of the Southern African countries include the Official Tour Operator Programme as well as the Hospitality Programme managed exclusively through MATCH aiming to ensure that the visitors will be in for a real African treat, enjoying the numerous beautiful attractions the continent and Southern African countries have to offer while experiencing the 2010 FIFA World Cup.

“One of the principal objectives of our overall strategy has been to use the 2010 FIFA World Cup as a launching pad to brand and develop the entire region as a preferred tourism and investment destination. Mauritius signing up to the squad further underlines the strong commitment by the entire Southern African region for the 2010 FIFA World Cup. The geographic proximity and quality of its hotels is ideal to develop packages to allow fans to fully explore the unique diversity of the Southern African region,” said Danny Jordaan.

“The government and the people of Mauritius are very excited to become an integral part of the 2010 FIFA World Cup. The excellent quality of our accommodation, our picturesque environment and wonderful beaches, together with the warm and inviting hospitality of the Mauritian people, will give an added experience to the fans,” underlined Honourable Xavier Luc Duval.