Posts tagged 2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa
Fabregas set for swift return
Dec 18th
Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger is awaiting scan results on Cesc Fabregas’ hamstring injury but is optimistic the problem is “not long term”. Fabregas limped off before the break during the draw with Burnley in a match that left Wenger fuming at the fixture compilers and the English Premier League defending their schedule. Wenger immediately ruled his captain ...
Maracana to get facelift
Dec 18th
Rio’s legendary Maracana Stadium is to get a $500 million dollar facelift for the 2014 FIFA World Cup™, the city’s Secretary of Sports and Tourism confirmed on Thursday. “The start of renovation work at the stadium is planned for March 2010 but it will only close completely in September,” Marcia Lins Lins told a press conference. The ...
Auxerre hold onto fifth
Dec 16th
European hopefuls Valenciennes and Auxerre played out a goalless stalemate in Ligue 1 on Tuesday, although the hosts will feel aggrieved not to have made the most of their dominance. The result means the visitors stay a point above their opponents in fifth, while the draw was good enough to move Valenciennes up into sixth. After ...
Milner pushes Villa up to third
Dec 16th
A James Milner-inspired Aston Villa followed up their weekend win at Manchester United with a 2-0 win at Sunderland that underlined the credibility of their challenge for a top four finish. Milner made Villa's opener for Emile Heskey then found the net from fully 30 yards to enable Villa to leapfrog Arsenal into third place in ...
USA and Honduras to meet
Dec 16th
USA will conclude a January training camp for the 2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa™ by facing fellow qualifier Honduras in a 23 January friendly in Los Angeles, the US Soccer Federation announced Tuesday. North American-based talent will likely dominate both rosters as club teams will not have to release players for the match, which pits ...
Gunners aim to build on Anfield revival
Dec 15th
This has been a season of unrelenting surprises in the English Premier League, and nowhere has the shock therapy been more acutely felt than Arsenal. Arsene Wenger's side has lurched from the sublime to the ridiculous with bewildering frequency this term, their inconsistency indicative of a division which has shed much of its reputation for predictability. ...
Big guns face Europa elimination
Dec 15th
Fulham, Valencia, Genoa and Lille are among the sides bidding to reach the knockout stage of the UEFA Europa League as the competition's group phase reaches its conclusion this week. Premier League representatives Fulham are looking to join Roma in qualifying from Group E but face a winner-takes-all match at Swiss outfit Basel on Wednesday. "We entered ...
South Africa’s fine 2009
Dec 15th
Probably the best place to gauge South Africa’s readiness for the 2010 FIFA World Cup™ are the towering world-class stadiums that stand at the sites of what has been fondly referred to as 'the Rainbow Nation’s second miracle' next year. Colourful scenes of more than 50,000 football fans at Cape Town's Long Street during the inaugural ...
Leaders Inter open up gap
Dec 14th
Inter Milan extended their lead at the top of Serie A to five points despite being held by struggling Atalanta. Diego Milito gave the Nerazzurri the lead in the 14th minute, but Simone Tiribocchi equalised for the hosts in the 81st minute after Wesley Sneijder's 64th-minute red card had put Inter on the back foot. AC ...
Banfield claim historic title
Dec 14th
Banfield were crowned Apertura champions for the first time on Sunday despite a 2-0 loss at Boca Juniors in the final round. Julio Cesar Falcioni's side lifted the trophy after nearest challengers Newell's Old Boys also suffered a 2-0 defeat at home to San Lorenzo. That left Banfield with a two-point advantage as they claimed their ...
Aguero pledges to stay with Atletico
Dec 12th
Argentine striker Sergio Aguero indicated Friday he intends to stay with Atletico Madrid after insisting he knows nothing of an impending swoop by Chelsea. It's always good when a team is interested in you but the truth is I know nothing and if anything happens I'll refer it to the club for it to decide what ...
Blanc not interested in French job
Dec 12th
Bordeaux coach Laurent Blanc admits he is flattered to be linked to the France post but insists he is not giving the idea any thought. Reports in France suggest the French Football Federation have earmarked Blanc to replace the unpopular Raymond Domenech when his contract runs out after the 2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa™. The France ...
Volunteers gear up for busy year
Dec 11th
While many South Africans will be relaxing over the holiday season, the 2010 FIFA World Cup Organising Committee South Africa(OC) will still be hard at work preparing for the task at hand next year. For the OC volunteer department, the new year brings with it the conclusion of the selection process and the beginning of ...
South Africans scoop up 2010 tickets
Dec 11th
Just hours after the Final Draw for the 2010 FIFA World Cup™ was broadcast to a global television audience of 200 million people, and the 32 teams were placed into their groups, tickets for the third phase of sales were released. Armed with the knowledge of exactly which teams will be playing where, fans from ...
2009: A year of highlights
Dec 11th
2009 has been a big year for South Africa. The country hosted the first major FIFA tournament on African soil, the FIFA Confederations Cup – welcoming major international teams and their fans to the country, and saw the completion of the stadiums, while the spectacle of the Final Draw was broadcast to 200 million people ...
Huh – We won’t crumble
Dec 10th
Korea Republic coach Huh Jung-Moo has promised that his team will not crumble in the face of mighty Argentina when they meet in next year's FIFA World Cup™ in South Africa. The South Koreans and La Albiceleste have been placed in the same group -- along with Nigeria and Greece - to compete for the top two group slots and advance ...
Strikes, success and sensations
Dec 10th
Flamengo came from nowhere to end their title drought, goalkeeper Hans-Jorg Butt scored against Juventus for the third time, Grenoble won at long last and a homegrown marksman ended a Brazilian monopoly in Japan. Add to the mix a host of notable milestones at Arsenal’s Emirates Stadium and you have FIFA.com’s latest weekly stats review. 224 days ...
Denilson playing for two publics
Dec 10th
A tear trickled down the face of Denilson Martins Nascimento as he headed for Dubai International Airport in 2005. Publicly, he welcomed the opportunity to parade his genius in an alternative environment; privately, he was consumed by torment. The radiant, enrapturing Arabian Peninsula federation had been the Brazilian striker’s base for six ambrosial years. It ...
Messi in doubt for weekend clash
Dec 10th
Barcelona have revealed Lionel Messi is a doubt for Saturday's derby against Espanyol. The Argentina forward suffered a sprained ankle late in last night's UEFA Champions League win over Dynamo Kiev courtesy of a fierce tackle from Leandro Almeida. Moments earlier, the FIFA World Player of the Year nominee had sealed Barcelona's 2-1 win with a superb ...
Bullard out through January
Dec 8th
Hull midfielder Jimmy Bullard will be out for six to eight weeks after suffering a knee injury in Saturday's defeat at Aston Villa. Bullard, the English Premier League's player of the month for November, left the pitch in tears after landing awkwardly following a challenge in the 3-0 loss. The injury came in just his fifth ...
Toni trumpets Italy return
Dec 8th
Bayern Munich's Italian striker Luca Toni has claimed he will be returning to Italy while his coach insisted he would not try to stop him. Toni moved to the Bavarian giants in 2006 after winning the FIFA World Cup™ with Italy in Germany in 2006. But after three successful seasons he has found himself left out ...
Sampdoria’s new ‘goal twins’
Oct 8th
It may have been 18 years since they seized their sole Scudetto, but Sampdoria remember the euphoria well as they target glory again this season. 'Goal twins' Gianluca Vialli and Roberto Mancini fired the Genoa club to the Serie A title in 1991, hitting 258 goals overall during their spells at the club, and a ...
Unhappy Petrov speaks out
Oct 8th
Martin Petrov has again expressed his frustration at the lack of opportunities he is getting at Manchester City. The Bulgarian scored and scooped man-of-the-match plaudits against West Ham at Eastlands a week ago. Yet the performance was not enough for the 30-year-old to keep his place at Aston Villa on Monday. Petrov's frustration could have only increased ...


