Archive for the 'South 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

Visa, a FIFA World Cup(TM) Worldwide Partner, is offering Abbey International clients the chance to win tickets to the 2010 FIFA World Cup(TM) in South Africa.

The lucky winner will receive two tickets to attend the 2010 FIFA World Cup(TM) final, pre-match hospitality and three nights’ accommodation in a double occupancy 4 star hotel room from the 9 to 12 July 2010.

Abbey International will also contribute GBP1,500 towards return flights to the event.

To enter the competition, you will need to apply or request an upgrade to a Visa Platinum or Visa Infinite deferred-debit card, available with the Abbey International Gold account. Minimum deposits and terms apply. The competition is open from 16 February until 30 April 2010.

Head of Client Experience at Abbey International Jane Matthews comments, “Abbey International has always prided itself on giving its clients the best possible service and our Visa deferred-debit cards evidence this, bringing together a range of exceptional business and personal account services and lifestyle opportunities.”

For competition information, please visit http://www.abbeyinternational.com/competition

With less than four months to the kick-off of the 2010 FIFA World Cup™ FIFA has been alerted to a growing number of e-mails and scams fraudulently claiming to be associated or linked with the 2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa™ and/or FIFA World Cup Organising Committee South Africa.

These scams generally inform recipients that they have been selected as lottery prize winners and have won substantial sums of money, or invite recipients to submit a tender. Recipients are then persuaded to:

• submit personal information or to part with money as an up front payment, or
• forward money to enable them to enter the tender process.

FIFA strongly advises the public to treat any correspondence concerning lottery draws, tenders or competitions with suspicion and extreme caution and urges people not to provide any personal or financial details if requested to do so.

FIFA reiterates that any such correspondence has no connection with or authorisation from FIFA and is in no way related to the 2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa™, following previous media releases on this topic dating back to 2005 and 2007.

All information received in South Africa should be forwarded to the South African Police Service. The relevant contact details as well as information about these scams can be found at:

http://www.saps.gov.za/org_profiles/core_function_components/commercial/419_task_team.htm.

Non-South African residents should contact their relevant local authorities.

The fourth ticket sales phase will kick off on Tuesday, 9 February 2010 at 12.00 (Central European Time).

This phase, one of the last chances for fans to make sure that they do not miss out on attending the first FIFA World Cup™ on African soil, will run for 58 days until 7 April 2010. Tickets will be allocated on a “first come, first served, subject to availability” basis. Applications can be made via http://www.fifa.com/2010 or (for South African residents only) at FNB branches.

The third ticketing sales phase for the 2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa™ was finally concluded today. The 2010 FIFA World Cup Ticketing Centre has ensured that the maximum number of available tickets have been included in the random selection draw for the general public. Extensive validation of the results of the random selection draw process has been conducted in order to ensure the FIFA Sales Regulations have been adhered to.

A total of 1,206,865 tickets have been requested from 192 countries by the general public (excluding those tickets that have been sold through the participating teams to their fans). Of this total, 585,175 tickets were drawn successfully, and 413,072 (70.6 per cent) of those were allocated to South African residents.

Outside the host country, the United States received the highest number of tickets drawn (35,262), followed by the United Kingdom (21,614), Mexico (11,893), Australia (11,804), Germany (9,692), Brazil (5,891), Canada (4,642), France (4,268) and Israel (3,677). In Africa, Botswana remains the leading country behind the hosts, with a total of 1,587 tickets drawn, followed by Mozambique (1,142). Kenya completes the top three African countries with 785 tickets.

With regard to individual match tickets, category 4 was the most popular and the final received the highest number of applications. All applicants will be informed via e-mail or SMS whether they were completely or partially successful by Monday.

Additional information regarding the fourth sales phase: tickets are available at this stage for 53 of the 64 matches. Matches 5, 11, 37, 45, 54, 56, 59, 60, 61, 62 and 64 are not available in this phase. In addition, team-specific ticket series (TST) for England and Brazil are not available.

In recognition of Visa’s valued sponsorship, FIFA prefers Visa for ticket sales.

For the first time in the history of the FIFA World Cup™, the action on the field at next year’s tournament will be broadcast using the next-generation technology 3D. FIFA  announced that it had signed a media rights agreement with Sony, an official FIFA Partner, to deliver 3D images from up to 25 matches of the 2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa™. To this end, FIFA will use the best expertise available in its production in 3D, and take advantage of Sony’s technologies and knowhow in the area of 3D.

This groundbreaking deal means that viewers watching the matches on Sony’s 3D products will experience the sheer immediacy and visual clarity of the action as if they were on the pitch themselves. FIFA is working on whether a live right will be offered in the coming months.

“This propels the football fan into a whole new viewing dimension and marks the dawning of a new era in the broadcasting of sport,” said FIFA Secretary General Jérôme Valcke. “We are proud that the FIFA World Cup can serve as a platform for advancing technology and the viewing experience, and are truly fortunate to have Sony as a partner in this endeavour.”

“The transition to 3D is underway, and, we, at Sony, intend to be leaders in every aspect. Our sponsorship of the FIFA World Cup allows us to leverage our cutting-edge 3D technology and premier products with dazzling content to produce a unique and totally compelling viewing experience. 3D viewers around the world will feel as though they are inside the stadiums in South Africa, watching the games in person,” said Sir Howard Stringer, Chairman, CEO and President of Sony Corporation.

Sony Pictures Entertainment will produce and distribute the official 3D film of the 2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa™ after the event.

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.

McDonald’s Most Comprehensive Activation Features Exclusive Player Escort Program(TM), Innovative Online Games, In-Restaurant Activities, Team Sponsorships and Youth Clinics

McDonald’s announced its most comprehensive FIFA World Cup global sponsorship featuring an array of consumer-focused programs that will engage football fans around the globe. World Cup 2010 marks McDonald’s fifth time as an Official Sponsor and the Official Restaurant of the tournament.

McDonald’s promises to bring the excitement of the world’s most-watched sporting event to life for millions of customers and employees in its 32,000-plus restaurants in more than 100 countries.

“We’re committed to providing our customers with numerous ways to participate in the excitement and passion of FIFA World Cup South Africa,” said McDonald’s Global Communications Vice President Bridget Coffing at today’s international media briefing. “From specially-themed menu items, packaging and restaurant promotions to innovative digital activities, community youth clinics and team sponsorships, our goal is to connect our customers like never before with FIFA World Cup.”

As strong supporters of McDonald’s Player Escort program, French football legend and 1998 World Cup winning team member Marcel Desailly and South African football hero John “Shoes” Moshoeu joined McDonald’s today to share their experiences on one of McDonald’s most inspiring World Cup initiatives. Through this exclusive McDonald’s program, 1,408 children (ages 6-10) are provided the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to attend the tournament and walk hand-in-hand onto the pitch with their football heroes. Children will be selected by participating countries through activities that encourage them to be active and inspire their creativity. During the tournament, McDonald’s Player Escorts will tour cultural sites in South Africa, cultivate new friendships and experience the thrill of FIFA World Cup(TM).

“I am truly honored to be involved with McDonald’s Player Escort program,” said Desailly. “Through this initiative, McDonald’s gives children a life-changing opportunity and I’ve personally witnessed the positive impact of this experience.”

Moshoeu added, “Here in South Africa, McDonald’s Player Escort program made hundreds of dreams come true during the Confederations Cup 2009. I have been so touched by what this McDonald’s program does for our children and their families.”

As part of today’s kick-off, McDonald’s also unveiled its online games exclusively featured on www.FIFA.com. McDonald’s new FIFA World Cup Predictor game connects global online football fans who use their knowledge and skills to predict which of the 32 FIFA World Cup(TM) teams will win game by game and round by round. With McDonald’s returning FIFA World Cup Fantasy Football game, football fans create their own digital teams of World Cup players. Both games will offer exclusive prizes throughout and at the conclusion of the 2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa(TM).

Additionally, McDonald’s announced that a new McCafe is being built in the International Media Center (IMC) next to Soccer City Stadium in Johannesburg. Opening in June 2010, the McCafe will feature a variety of specialty coffees and food choices for international and local media.

“We look forward to hosting the thousands of customers and media who will come to South Africa next year,” said Greg Solomon, Managing Director of McDonald’s South Africa. “We also will be part of the thrill leading up to the World Cup as our 130 local restaurants sponsor community activities throughout the country.”

More than 1,000 McDonald’s Player Escorts will be selected from South Africa. As host country, McDonald’s South Africa will also sponsor the McDonald’s Fan Dancer program, which provides young South African women, ages 16-25, with the unique opportunity to perform cheering routines at select matches during the 2010 World Cup(TM).

For video from today’s media briefing visit www.thenewsmarket.com/Mcdonalds. For more information and images visit www.aboutmcdonalds.com — click on Members of the Press/Electronic Press Kit. Images will also be featured at www.gettyimages.com/mcdonalds.

McDonald’s FIFA World Cup Background

McDonald’s has been a supporter of football at both the global and grassroots levels for more than 25 years. McDonald’s became an Official Sponsor and the Official Restaurant of the FIFA World Cup(TM) in 1994 when the tournament was played in the United States.

Source: McDonald’s

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.

Network to televise 40 Live Matches in Portuguese; 24-7 Game-around-the-game news and information coverage in Spanish

As part of ESPN’s multilanguage coverage for the 2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa in the U.S., ESPN Deportes, the all-sports Spanish-language network, will provide Portuguese-language telecasts of more than 40 live matches of the World Cup. The telecasts will complement the network’s comprehensive Spanish-language news and information coverage of the quadrennial sports event (June 11 – July 11, 2010). ESPN, Inc. owns the rights for all FIFA events in all languages, except Spanish in the U.S. through 2014.

ESPN’s English-language coverage presented live and in high definition, will be featured on ABC, ESPN, ESPN2 and ESPN360.com. Univision has the exclusive Spanish-language rights to 2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa.

“There’s a thriving Portuguese-speaking community in the U.S. that lives and breathes soccer,” said Lino Garcia, general manager, ESPN Deportes. “With Brazil, undoubtedly one of the most followed soccer teams in the world, and Portugal qualifying last week, we are leveraging our multilanguage rights to better serve the passionate Portuguese-speaking fans. We will also continue to provide our core audience the most in-depth news and information coverage that they have come to expect from ESPN Deportes.”

This will mark the first time ESPN will televise the World Cup in Portuguese in the U.S. ESPN360.com, the company’s broadband network, will also offer coverage of the World Cup matches in Portuguese, in addition to other languages to be announced at a later date. During the group stage, ESPN Deportes will focus on matches featuring Brazil, Portugal, Argentina, Italy, Germany, France, Spain, Mexico and the USA.

In addition to live match coverage in Portuguese, ESPN Deportes will surround the games with its leading news and information franchises, including SportsCenter and Futbol Picante, offering fans the most comprehensive Spanish-language news and information coverage throughout the month-long soccer showcase. ESPN Deportes’ news and information shows will have significant presence from South Africa and up to 10 reporters generating content from site. Coverage of the event will include SportsCenter segments, nightly, pre- and post-match shows, with additional studio programming originating from Johannesburg.

Highlights of planned 2010 World Cup News and Information Shows:

– SportsCenter (12 -1 p.m.; 4:30-6:00 p.m.; 11-12:00 a.m. and 1-2 a.m.) three editions daily – a 90-minute news, highlights and analysis program aired at the conclusion of the last match of the day – and two live one-hour editions to wrap-up all the news and information of the day;
– Jorge Ramos y su banda (1-2:30 p.m.; 3-4 p.m.) ESPN Deportes Radio’s soccer talk-show (simulcast on ESPN Deportes) will originate from South Africa and feature co-hosts Jorge Ramos and Hernan Pereyra with live guests, entertaining discussions of the day’s sports news and analysis. The program will be broadcast on ESPN Deportes Radio (simulcast on ESPN Deportes) each day in-between the early matches and at the conclusion of the last match of the day( only on ESPN Deportes Radio);
– Fuera de Juego (6-6:30 p.m.) will present significant portions of the live international soccer program from Johannesburg;
– Sudafrica al dia (6:30-7:00 p.m.) will air during the tournament and feature hits from site on relevant news surrounding all the action from South Africa;
– Juego Cruzado (7 p.m.) the network’s program modeled after Around the Horn will feature the show’s daily panelists opining from newspaper newsrooms in New York, Miami, Los Angeles and Mexico;
– Cronometro (7:30 p.m.) the network’s program modeled after Pardon the Interruption will originate entirely from South Africa featuring co-hosts Jose Ramon Fernandez and David Faitelson debating the hottest topics of the day throughout the tournament;
– Futbol Picante (8-9 p.m.) the network’s Mexican soccer news program will be aired daily and follow Mexico’s National Soccer team and their
journey through the World Cup.

World Cup Coverage on ESPN:

In the United States, ESPN, ESPN2 and ABC will combine to present high definition coverage of all 64 matches of the 2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa June 11 – July 11, 2010. Beyond its English-language exclusive coverage in the U.S., ESPN Inc. is a World Cup rights-holder in Brazil (ESPN Brazil) and in the ESPN Star Sports (ESS) territories of India, Pakistan, The Maldives, Bhutan, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Nepal and the Middle East and in the ESPN Star Sports (ESS) territories of India, Pakistan, The Maldives, Bhutan, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Nepal and the Middle East.

ESPN, through the 15 localized editions of SportsCenter, the network’s flagship sports news and information brand, also provides the most comprehensive coverage of marquee sports events around the world. Each SportsCenter edition will provide extensive coverage of 2010 FIFA World Cup for fans in their respective markets, including:

– U.S. (English)
– ESPN Deportes in the U.S. (Spanish)
– ESPN 2 (Dos) serving the U.S., Mexico, Central America, and the Caribbean (Spanish)
– ESPN’s pan-regional network in Latin America (Spanish)
– ESPN+ serving the Southern cone of Latin America (Spanish)
– ESPN Brasil (Portuguese)
– TSN Canada (English)
– ESS pan-Asia (English)
– ESS India (Hindi)
– ESS Hong Kong (Cantonese)
– ESS Taiwan (Mandarin)
– J Sports ESPN (Japanese)
– ESS Malaysia (Malay)
– ESPN South Africa, Israel (English)
– ESPN Australia (English)

Source: ESPN Deportes

On 20 November2009, the second phase of ticket sales for the 2010 FIFA World Cup™ will come to an end.

This means that football fans around the world only have a limited time to secure a seat for the FIFA World Cup™ in 2010 in South Africa before the third and main ticketing sales phase starts on 5 December – the day after the Final Draw. A total of 668,525 tickets have been sold to date, 356,285 of those in the host country. This total accounts for 82.5% of the inventory available in this sales phase. Tickets can still be purchased online via FIFA.com and also at FNB branches across South Africa. The US (84,034) leads the way in terms of tickets sold in other countries, followed by the UK (48,274) and Germany (25,024).

At this stage, individual match tickets are mainly available for matches at Johannesburg’s Soccer City Stadium (including a small amount for the opening match) and at Durban Stadium. With the exception of Brazil and England, Team-Specific Tickets (TSTs) are still available for all of the other qualified nations.

Depending on which of the three different TST series fans apply for, their TST may include between three and seven matches, including the final. These tickets are allocated to the team’s venues automatically, meaning fans can buy a ticket to follow their team throughout the tournament without having to wait to see where it will play. In the current phase, no more category four tickets, which are exclusively reserved for South African residents, are available.

“This phase is a great opportunity for fans who are captivated by the prospect of experiencing the unique atmosphere of the World Cup first-hand to purchase their tickets, particularly TSTs, before the customary scramble after the Final Draw,” advises Horst R. Schmidt, chairman of the FIFA Ticketing Sub-Committee.

“The next phase of ticket sales will see an increase in interest across the globe once fans know not only that their national team has qualified but also where their team will play as a result of the Final Draw, which will take place in Cape Town on 4 December,” emphasises 2010 FIFA World Cup Organising Committee CEO Danny Jordaan.

The third sales phase, which will last for 49 days, will start on 5 December and end on 22 January 2010, during which time tickets will be available for all categories and all matches.

Fans can also purchase authorised travel packages through participating tour operators appointed by FIFA through MATCH. These tour operators offer flight-inclusive ticket and accommodation packages. The list of all tour operators can be found on FIFA.com.

In recognition of Visa’s valued sponsorship, www.FIFA.com prefers Visa for all transactions online.