|
PR-WORLD-CUP-PREPARATIONS SAPA PR--WORLD CUP QUALIFICATIONS SHIFTS FOCUS FROM PREPARATIONS TO AC... |
|
Sep 11, 2009 at 05:40 PM |
ISSUED BY: FIFA 2010
ATTENTION: SPORT / NEWS EDITORS
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
11 SEPTEMBER 2009
WORLD CUP QUALIFICATIONS SHIFTS FOCUS FROM PREPARATIONS TO
ACTUAL TOURNAMENT
By: Danny Jordaan
After the qualification of England, Spain, Brazil, Paraguay and
Ghana, there is plenty to look forward to until November 18 when 31
lucky teams will have earned the right to make the trip to the 2010
World Cup in South Africa.
This round of qualifications has signaled a shift of focus away
from preparations to the actual tournament. We have been developing
infrastructure for a few years now. We now have a sense of the
calibre of teams that will be playing in those stadiums and of the
fans that will come to South Africa.
Nine nations have qualified so far. They are South Africa,
Japan, Australia, Korea Republic, Netherlands, Korea DPR, Brazil,
Ghana, England, Spain and Paraguay. Many of their fans will board
planes to South Africa next year in the hope t hat their side will
be able to lift the World Cup trophy in Soccer City on July 11
2010.
England's qualification signals a dramatic turn in fortunes for
the Three Lions who just under two years ago lost to Croatia in a
dramatic Euro 2008 qualifier.
While the English fans and players have said that Wednesday
night's victory had nothing to do with revenge they will take a
huge amount of joy out of the fact that they scored nine goals
against the Croatians over the two World Cup qualifying legs.
England's presence at next year's World Cup will add
significantly to the tournament, both on and off the pitch. Fabio
Capello's side has powered their way to South Africa 2010 and will
certainly be a force to be reckoned with next year. They are
playing very good football and the team will certainly come to
South Africa as one of the tournament's favourites.
The English Premier League is one of the best leagues in the
world and arguably the most followed globally. All the England
players are extremely popular in South Africa and a number of them
have visited the country with their club teams and with the
national team in recent years," he added.
The United Kingdom trails only host country, South Africa, and
the United States in terms of tickets sold for next year's
tournament. By the beginning of September, more than 45 000 tickets
had been sold to residents from the UK.
The English fans, who are among the most passionate and
knowledgeable in the world, are no strangers to our shores,
regularly travelling to England cricket, rugby and football matches
in South Africa. We are sure the English team and their fans will
enjoy their time in our country and contribute tremendously to what
is sure to be a carnival atmosphere at Africa's first FIFA World
Cup. We wish England well in next year's tournament.
Paraguay's qualification is the one which surprise South African
football fans the most. Last year this same side were thrashed 3
nil by Bafana Bafana in a friendly - a far cry from the team which
beat Diego Maradonna's Argentina on Wednesday night.
Paraguay has been one of the most consistent teams in the
qualifiers. It is no surprise then that they will be travelling to
South Africa in June next year for the World Cup."
This is Paraguay's fourth consecutive World Cup finals and it is
telling that they did so by beating Argentina 1 - 0 at the Estadio
Defensores del Chaco in Asunción, Paraguay.
For South Africa however Paraguay's qualification is a positive
thing as it will bring an exciting element to the World Cup next
year. The people of Paraguay are crazy about football and we look
forward to the excitement that the team and their fans will bring
to Africa's first World Cup.
Spain as defending European champions will travel to South
Africa next year as one of the favourites to lift the crown. They
booked their place in the finals after beating Estonia 3-0 in
Merida on Wednesday evening. The Spanish retained their unbeaten
run and now secure top place in Group 5 with eight wins from eight
matches.
Although the team's players have tasted success in the English
Premier League and in their own La Liga Spain's record at the World
Cup is one of disappointment. And while South Africa proved to be
an unhappy hunting ground for them this year in the Confederations
Cup with quality players such as Xavi, Iniesta, Alonso and Fernando
Torres should help to ensure that Spain enjoy major success next
year.
The champions of Europe will excite many football fans with
their exciting brand of football during the World Cup next year.
South Africa was lucky to experience La Fúria Roja at the
Confederations Cup in June, and we are sure that we can expect even
more of them at the World Cup next year.
The number two ranked side in the world took fourth place in the
1950 World Cup in Brazil and have been European champions on two
occasions -1964 and 2008 - and runners up in 1984.
I am overjoyed that Ghana, one of the continent's greatest
teams will be playing in Africa's first FIFA World Cup. The Black
Stars are Africa's second most successful team of all time and have
won the African Cup of Nations four times in 1963, 1965, 1978, and
1982.
A long standing symbol of hope on the continent, Ghana is sure
to win many fans in South Africa. We hope that they will go far in
the tournament and do Africa proud.
Ghana has always provided South Africa's bid to host the 2010
FIFA World Cup with invaluable support in the form of football
legend and event ambassador Abedi Pele. Pele joined other great
African stars such as George Weah, Roger Milla, Kalusha Bwalya and
Philemon Masinga as 2010 bid ambassadors.
You cannot host a World Cup without Brazil, the number one
ranked team in the world. The kings of football already wowed South
Africa earlier this year when they won their third Confederations
Cup title, and we look forward to seeing if they can repeat that
performance and add a record sixth World Cup trophy to their name
next year.
Also, Brazil are the hosts of the 2014 FIFA World Cup and it
will be great to have them here so that we can formally hand over
the baton to them come 12 July 2010.
The World Cup is a reality. That fact has been never been cast
in as harsh a light as the one shone on it when hundreds of
thousands of football fans from Paraguay, England and Spain
celebrated the qualification of their national squads for the 2010
FIFA World Cup South Africa.
Millions more fans will be celebrating until November 14 when
all World Cup participants will be known. We look forward to
welcoming their teams of the draw in Cape Town on December 4.
Dr Danny Jordaan is Chief Executive Officer of the 2010 FIFA
World Cup Organising Committee South Africa
Rich Mkhondo
Chief Communications Officer
2010 FIFA World Cup Organising Committee South Africa
Street Address
SAFA House, 76 Nasrec Road,
Nasrec Ext. 3, 2190
Gauteng, South Africa
Postal Address
Private Bag X2010, Mondeor 2110
Johannesburg, Gauteng, South Africa
Tel: +27 11 567 2003
Fax: +27 11 567
Mobile: +27 83 2010 254
www.fifa.com
|
|
|
|
