World Cup Adventure

Zakumi-World Cup South Africa 2010 Mascot unveiled

626 days before the start of the first African FIFA World Cup™ at the Soccer City Stadium in Johannesburg on 11 June 2010, the cloud of secrecy surrounding the Official Mascot has been lifted. Embedded in a vibrant African-themed live TV show that was broadcast nationwide, Zakumi today (22 September 2008) made his official debut in front of an audience of millions on South Africa’s primetime SABC Coca-Cola Soccer Zone.

The Official Mascot, a leopard, has been designed and produced exclusively in the host country. The name is a composition of “ZA”, standing for South Africa, and “kumi” translating into “10″ in various languages across Africa. Inspired by his football idols, Zakumi has dyed his hair green as he felt it would be the perfect camouflage against the green of the football pitch.

“Zakumi represents the people, geography and spirit of South Africa, personifying in essence the 2010 FIFA World Cup. We are certain we will have a lot of fun with him in the lead-up to and during the FIFA Confederations Cup and the FIFA World Cup,” said FIFA Secretary General Jérôme Valcke.

The original creator of the design is Andries Odendaal from Cape Town, and the mascot costume itself was produced by Cora Simpson of Cora’s Costumes cc in Boksburg. “Zakumi is a proud South African and, as such, an ideal ambassador for the first African World Cup. He was born in 1994, the same year as the country’s democracy. He is young, energetic, smart and ambitious, a real inspiration for young and old, not only in our country,” explained Danny Jordaan.

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With anticipation growing ahead of the 2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa™, the official Match Schedule has been released. To find out where the games will be played in Cape Town, Durban, Johannesburg, Mangaung/Bloemfontein, Nelson Mandela Bay/Port Elizabeth, Nelspruit, Polokwane, Rustenburg, Tshwane/Pretoria between 11 June and 11 July 2010.

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The official 2010 FIFA World Cup™ poster was unveiled on November 23 2007.

“Portraying a country in the shape of a man heading a ball (Samuel Eto’s Silhouette) is a new idea with potent symbolism. For me, football is all about emotion and passion, which is why I was particularly attracted to this poster. It invites the world to join in the celebration of the greatest football event on earth, while highlighting the pride and passion of the African continent and her people. It represents the African dream come true. The South Africans made a good selection for the poster, which will represent their country all the way up to 2010,” said FIFA President Joseph S. Blatter.

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Preliminary Draw Results in Durban:

FIFA held a preliminary draw in Durban, South Africa this past weekend. Many countries discovered their opponents for the World Cup 2010 qualifiers. Now that everyone pretty much knows what to expect, it’s up to each and every team to do their homework if they want to qualify and enjoy the World Cup in June of 2010.

Here’s the article (props to FIFA.com for the update):

“A total of 170 teams discovered the hurdles they must overcome to reach the 2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa™ today when the Preliminary Draw took place in Durban. It proved to be a memorable ceremony, decorated by the presence of some iconic figures from within the sport and providing a foretaste of the magical tournament that South Africa promises to deliver.

FIFA General Secretary Jerome Valcke conducted proceedings as former players, association presidents, celebrities from across the globe and the world’s football press looked on in earnest to see which teams Draw Assistants George Weah, Ali Daei, Marcel Desailly, Kasey Keller, Kaizer Motaung, Abedi Pele, Doreen Nabwire, Jomo Sono, Lucas Radebe and Christian Karembeu guided into the respective qualifying pools.

Some of the national coaches present at the International Convention Centre will know their teams must negotiate testing groups in order to progress to the 19th edition of the FIFA World Cup. Among them are Croatia, England and Ukraine, who will compete against one another in the European Zone’s Group 6, and Group 1 rivals Portugal, Sweden and Denmark. Interestingly, the Swedes and the Danes have locked horns 100 times in senior internationals but never in a FIFA World Cup qualifier.

Bulgaria and Republic of Ireland will hope to provide reigning world champions Italy with a serious challenge, while Germany 2006 runners-up France will take on Romania and Serbia in their section.

There were gasps from the audience when the AFC Zone pitted Australia, who narrowly missed out on a quarter-final place at the 2006 FIFA World Cup, against both Iraq, the reigning Asian champions, and China PR, who participated in the 2002 finals. Qatar, who have played Iraq five times in FIFA World Cup qualifiers (with two wins apiece and one draw), completed the pool, from which two teams will advance to the concluding stage of Asian qualifying.

For the hosts, the highlight came when the African qualifying groups were drawn. South Africa, whose place at the tournament is already assured, will nonetheless compete in the preliminaries, which will also serve as qualifiers to the CAF Africa Cup of Nations in 2010. There they will meet no less a power than Nigeria in Group 4, while Senegal and Algeria will face each other in an intriguing-looking Group 6.

Of the heavyweights in the CONCACAF region, Canada were handed the stiffest Stage 2 challenge in the form of St Vincent and the Grenadines, whom they have never played but who impressed during the qualifying rounds for the 2002 finals. Perhaps the most intriguing development was how the Stage 4 groups will appear if the favourites avoid upsets. Indeed, Mexico, Canada, Jamaica and Honduras could do battle for two places in the deciding phase, while USA, Trinidad and Tobago, Cuba and Guatemala may have to do the same.

Perfect prelude
The meetings between the aforementioned sides are just some of the many fascinating duels thrown up by the Preliminary Draw. In the Asian Zone, Korea Republic and Korea DPR will clash, with the latter looking to reverse two unanswered losses to their neighbours in FIFA World Cup preliminaries. Kuwait will also be out to upset a trend: in six qualifiers for the competition against Iran they have failed to win.

Over in Europe, Czech Republic and Slovakia, the two sides that formerly made up two-time FIFA World Cup finalists Czechoslovakia, will face off, and memories are bound to resurface when Scotland take on Netherlands, whom they beat 3-2 in a memorable match at Argentina 1978.”