Five Reasons Why South Africa Will Be a Resounding Success

By Robert Uvanovic/Bleacher Report


5 Reasons Why South Africa Hosting the 2010 World Cup Will be a Resounding Success:

Atmosphere:

Whether you like vuvuzelas or not, there has never been a country more excited or deserving to host the World Cup and this tournament will be uniquely African. In South Africa they don’t refer to it as the World Cup, simply “2010” because that is the only thing of importance happening this year!

South Africa deserves to host and contrary to the speculative reports coming out of Europe for the past four years regarding stadiums, safety and tickets, all of these fears have been eased. Get ready for one of the great World Cups of all time, just make sure you have your earplugs!

Bafana Bafana:

South Africa should steal the USMNT’s slogan here and change it to read “Don’t tread lightly on us”. Watch out for the Boys, you simply cannot understand how much this World Cup means to South Africa and we all know in sport the home crowd can do amazing things. Just look at South Korea and Japan in 2002. While the soccer world expects them to fail, enjoy watching them pleasantly surprise.

Disregard everything you saw in their friendlies, remember this South Africa team pushed Brazil all the way in the Confederations Cup semifinal and is much improved since then, with their old boss back in charge. Look for South Africa to push the other three teams all the way and sneaking out of their group is certainly within their realm.

Weather:

Everyone tends to agree that an athlete’s body reacts much better in 70 degree weather than 100 degree weather. A South African winter will ensure that temperatures are much lower than previous tournaments, with temperatures getting a bit chilly during the night matches. While the spectators might not enjoy the cold weather, the players certainly will.

Pre-tournament talk amongst the managers has reveled that most of them expect a much higher tempo World Cup as a result of the cooler weather. This can only mean good things for the fans of the beautiful game!

Stadiums:

Ever been in a zebra patterned stadium? What about one shaped as a calabash? What about a match with Table Mountain rising above the stadium? I didn’t think so.

South Africa has produced 6 brand new stadiums of stunning quality, in addition to the 4 that already existed, which will visually create one of the most visually appealing backdrops we have ever seen in a World Cup.

Soweto:

Bringing the World Cup Final to the township where it all began for South Africa is so symbolic and a moment of such pride for South Africa.

Soccer was used as a movement of resistance during apartheid and a means of unification during the Mandela era. Soweto has always been the heart of South African soccer and there really was no other place the final could end up.

Didier Drogba Needs To Give Ivory Coast First Trophy

By Isaac Asante/Live Soccer TV


Chelsea and Ivory Coast ace Didier Drogba is the reigning African Player of the Year, as well as the reigning Premier League top scorer, but will he impress at the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa? This is what we try to analyze in this article

Didier Drogba - A champion in Chelsea.

Drogba has gone under total success in England in his career, having won cups from the Premier League, the FA Cup, the Carling Cup, and even from the Community Shield. Though he has never won the Champions League, he is one of the best players on the island, and he faultlessly proved this undeniable fact in the 2009-10 season.

Drogba scored 29 league goals and made 10 assists in 32 appearances for the Blues, while he additional scored 3 goals and made 1 assists in the FA Cup, with 2 further goals in 2 games as a substitute in the Carling Cup. These statistics and facts are definitely some that confirm the Ivorian’s brilliant goalscoring abilities, but he still needs to do extra efforts for his country.

Didier Drogba - A flop for the Ivory Coast

As a veteran forward, Drogba has 43 goals for the Elephants in 66 appearances; he is however yet to give his country glory. The captain scored his first international goal on the 11th of February 2003 against Cameroon in a friendly match, but subsequently, he has never won a cup for the Ivory Coast.

The striker’s greatest attainment at international level came years ago when he pushed the Elephants to their first ever World Cup, which was then held in Germany, in 2006. At the 2006 Africa Cup of Nations, Drogba led his team to the final where they lost to Egypt on penalties after the skipper’s incapability to convert from the spot after extra time.

At the 2006 World Cup, Drogba’s men suffered an early exit after being controversially trampled in the Group of Death by Argentina and the Netherlands. In the 2008 Africa Cup of Nations Cup, Drogba was the key to his country’s presence in the semifinals of the competition, but a poor display from the star gifted Egypt with the chance of disgracing the Elephants 4-1 to deny them a place in the final.

Sadly, an out-of-form Didier could only let his side get trashed 4-2 by Ghana in the third-place semifinal, as his CAN campaign ended without a single medal. His 2010 African Cup of Nations moments were not positive either, as the forward was knocked-out 3-2 by Algeria in the quarterfinals.

In Ivory Coast’s 2010 World Cup Qualification, Drogba scored 6 goals in 5 games, and as a 2-time African Footballer of the Year, he will be anticipated to excel in South Africa and power his army to World Cup glory on fresh and beneficial African soil.

Drogba overshined Cameroon’s Samuel Eto’o and Ghana’s Michael Essien to win the precious African award, and as the impatient Black Continent looks to gain back its lost pride, African football fans will be putting their trust in their strong Ivorian king to fight their challengers from different continents, at the 2010 World Cup in South Africa.

Fan Zone: Cameroon, Denmark, Netherlands, Japan

THE PROVINCE


A Dutch soccer fan celebrates in a central Rotterdam fountain that is spraying orange-colored water after the Dutch team beat Yugoslavia 4-1 at the European championships, June 25, 2000. Photograph by: Guido Benschop, REUTERS

little kick in the pants for Cameroon — firing coach Otto Pfister and hiring Paul Le Guen — was all the Lions Indomitables needed to make the World Cup. Samuel Eto’o is a good reason they can make it out of the group stage.

Along with Denmark, they're the favourites to make it out of Group E, since the Netherlands have had an easy road thus far, and haven't historically been much of a title-winning team. Japan is solid, but they still have a long way to go to make noise at this level.

2010 World Cup: The Top 12 African Players Expected To Shine (Part 1)

By Angela Asante/Live Soccer TV

For the first time in the history of the World Cup, as much as six nations will represent the African continent. They are Nigeria, Ghana, Cote d’Ivoire, Cameroon, Algeria, and the tournament’s hosts South Africa. Among those six teams is a bunch of big names and of rising stars.

Today, LiveSoccerTV.com looks at the top 12 African players that are expected to shine during the 2010 FIFA World Cup. Check out the list of the 12 African players that should rock the stage in South Africa and carry the hopes of the Black Continent. Now the list doesn’t only contain aged experience players. There’s also room for fresh faces like FIFA U-20 World Cup’s best player Dominic Adiyiah. But in the first part of this coverage, LiveSoccerTV.com contemplates six players – two of which come from the Ivory Coast.

1) Didier Drogba - Cote d'Ivoire

The Chelsea and Cote d’Ivoire striker is regarded as one of the world’s finest striker. Drogba is fierce in front of goal and even though he cannot compare his pace to Cristiano Ronaldo or Arjen Robben’s, he can boast about his accurate shots in open play and set pieces. Didier Drogba can score from any distance and from any angle.

People will just need to remember his goals against Hull City on the first day of the 2009/10 English Premier League season. Free-kicks, penalties, headers; Drogba is good on the ball in all these three categories. He will enter the 2010 FIFA World Cup tournament as England’s Golden Boot winner and as Africa’s Player of the Year titleholder. With the support of Cote d’Ivoire’s numerous talented players, Didier Drogba could embody the fighting spirit of Africa.


2) Samuel Eto'o - Cameroon

He’s broken records over records in Europe like in Africa. The former Barcelona star has won almost anything a player could dream of in club football. His historic days with the Blaugrana are gone but he has experienced something new in Inter Milan under Jose Mourinho.

Samuel Eto’o seems to have lost the goal scoring touch he had five years ago and which saw him achieve a high status at the side of Ronaldinho. Still, Eto’o is a good passer and a humble national team captain for Cameroon. The 2010 World Cup will offer him the chance to emulate the legendary Roger Milla.


3) Kadeir Kaita - Cote d'Ivoire

This is a player who proves his patriotism for Cote d’Ivoire in each game he plays. He is fast, full of tricks, and he is physically strong. He is the type of midfielder who can turn defenders into school boys with his attacking instinct. He is great on both wings and dangerous in counter attacking situations.

Goals? Kader Kaita can stun goalkeepers with his long range firing shots. The only regret he might have felt in 2010 was during the quarter-finals of the Africa Cup of Nations in Angola. He certainly thought that his 88th minute screamer against Algeria would put the Elephants through to the semifinals of the competition on a 2-1 score line. However, Cote d’Ivoire’s sloppy defense and Algeria’s resilience made the difference. The Elephants surprisingly lost 3-2 after extra-time and Kader Kaita’s wonder goal subsequently proved meaningless. Kaita will surely come back more dangerous than ever at the 2010 World Cup in South Africa.


4) Peter Odemwingie - Nigeria

His playing style is quite similar to Fernando Torres’ or Cristiano Ronaldo’s. He has quick feet, a flexible body which he uses to dance his way through defenders. He doesn’t have the best of goal scoring records as a winger/striker in the Nigerian national football team. But the 2008 Beijing Olympics (where Nigerian finished second behind Argentina) and the 2010 Africa Cup of Nations tournaments have certainly offered him immense experience as a captain ahead of the 2010 FIFA World Cup.


5) Andre Dede Ayew Pele - Ghana

He is arguably the most exciting midfielder in the Ghana’s Black Stars squad but his hard work is yet to be recognized by the fans back home. Rumors suggest that the 2009 FIFA U-20 World Cup winning captain got his place in the Ghanaian squad through bribery as he is the son of the legendary Abedi Pele.

But Andre Dede Ayew Pele prefers to talk on the pitch through his aggressiveness and his commanding play. Above all, he often comes to the rescue of his team during crucial moments. A proof: his equalizer against South Africa in the knock out stages of the 2009 FIFA U-20 tournament and his lone goal in Ghana’s do-or-die group stage match against Burkina Faso during the 2010 Africa Cup of Nations. A trademark performance during the 2010 FIFA World Cup could see him enjoy international recognition.


6) Benny McCarthy - South Africa

Do you remember the guy from the 1998 African Cup of Nations who scored four goals in a space of 13 minutes against Namibia and eventually topped the tournament’s goal scoring chart with seven goals alongside Egypt’s Hossam Hassan? The name is Benny McCarthy; Bafana Bafana’s all time goal scorer.

The 32-year-old striker is arguably the most controversial football personality in South Africa. His commitment to the national team has been an issue for the past 10 years. McCarthy even retired from international football in 2002 before returning to the squad in 2004 on a irregular basis. But current coach Carlos Alberto Parreira has guaranteed him with trust. Statistically, Bafana Bafana have a feeble goal scoring record. Benny McCarthy will try to solve the hosts' problem in front of goal.

Fan Zone: Italy, Paraguay, New Zealand, Slovakia

THE PROVINCE


A young supporter of Italy's football team, draped in an Italian flag, watches the team train at a camp in Sestriere on May 24, 2010 ahead of the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa. Photograph by: FILIPPO MONTEFORTE, AFP/Getty Images


It seems the soccer gods are taking it easy on aged Italy. They are up against a team that finished third in South American qualifying (Paraguay), a team that's made the World Cup just once before (New Zealand), and a team that's never been there before (Slovakia). Plus, the rapidly aging Azzuri are 3-0 against their group in recent meetings, outscoring them 10-4 as well.

Look for the pasta eaters and Paraguay to put forth paramount performances.

2010 World Cup Preview: Paraguay

By Charles Gooch/Kansas City Star



To get you ready for the drama that will start unfolding on June 11 in South Africa, The Star and The Full 90 will introduce you to the teams, the key performers, what to look for and what to expect in this year's Cup.

Now for the last team in the Group of Leisure.

Paraguay
Group F

THE BASICS

• Nickname: La Albirroja (The White-Red)
• Colors: White, Red (Surprise)
• FIFA Ranking: 30
• How They Got Here: Finished third in South American qualifying, just behind Brazil and Chile
• World Cup Pedigree: 8 World Cups ('30, '34, '50, '58, '86, '98, '02, '06), reached the second round three times

THE PLOT

Can one of the most surprising South American teams overcome the loss of their best player to qualify for the knockout stage? Well, the easiest group in the Cup (BY FAR) should be a huge help.

THE DIRECTOR
Gerardo Martino

An Argentinean, known as "El Tata, " he was a star for Argentina's Newell's Old Boys and has had great success in Paraguay as a coach. Like the three teams not named Italy, he is a relatively green on the international level.

LEADING MAN
Roque Santa Cruz

The Manchester City striker will be asked to do the majority of the goal scoring for Paraguay. He's scored 20 goals for the national side (he didn't have the same success with City, where he only scored three times) and that's twice as many goals as the next best on this team.

SUPPORTING CAST

Lucas Barrios (forward, Colo Colo - Chile) is the likely successor for Salvador Cabanas (who was shot in the head last year and won't make the World Cup) and recently renounced his Argentina citizenship for his mother's country; Oscar Cardozo (forward, Benfica) is tall, lanky (he's known as "Tacuara" -- a type of cane -- in Paraguay) and good in the air; Paulo da Silva (defender, Sunderland) is La Albirroja's captain and warrior in the back; Justo Villar (goalkeeper, Real Valladolid - Spain) won't be confused for legendary shot-stopper Jose Luis Chilavert, but he's a reliable 'keeper with good hands.

LIKELY BREAKOUT STAR

Edgar Barreto The 23-year-old Atalanta winger will be the primary supply for the forwards (and it would be a huge help if he could put a goal or two in as well).

THE LIKELY VILLAIN

Santa Cruz. If he's not scoring, Paraguay doesn't go far.


DO WHAT YOU WILL WITH THIS...

According to The Guardian, dueling is legal in Paraguay as long as both parties are blood donors.

CRITICAL BLURBS

I'm really sort of sick of saying this, as I've said it a lot: This team will struggle to score. ... The team went through various stages during qualifying. At times they were awesome (beating Brazil 2-0 and thumping Ecuador 5-1) and at times they were dismal (losing 4-2 to Bolivia). ... With Italy in this group, it's almost a guarantee that the group winner might not crack 4 goals scored. Paraguay-Italy is almost assuredly a nil-nil tie. ... If they can get past Slovakia and into the second round, they could make some noise as they are very difficult to break down. ... Best-case scenario? Reaching the second round and putting a scare into The Netherlands. ... Realistic prediction? Reaching the second round and getting run out of South Africa by The Netherlands.

POSSIBLE HOLLYWOOD MOMENT

The first goal the team scores will likely resemble a sports movie cliche: The players celebrating their fallen teammate, Cabanas.

Eto'o off as Portugal beat Cameroon

By Stephen Fottrell/BBC Sport, Covilha, Portugal

Cameroon captain Samuel Eto'o was sent off on his return to the Indomitable Lions side, as his team slumped to a 3-1 defeat in Portugal.

The Inter Milan striker was dismissed in the first half for a second bookable offence in quick succession after returning to the side for their final two World Cup warm-up games.

A frustrated and agitated-looking Eto'o received his marching orders for a high tackle on Portugal left-back Duda, immediately after being booked by the referee for protesting, following the opener from Raul Meireles.

The Cameroonians looked unsettled after their captain's departure, and were well beaten by a Portuguese team who looked a lot more polished and confident ahead of their departure for South Africa - in stark contrast to their visitors.

The Indomitable Lions are now six games without a win, but drew some little comfort from an impressive debut for German-born striker Eric Choupo-Moting, who has just been cleared to play for the west Africans.

Tottenham Hotspur defender Benoit Assou-Ekotto also put in an impressive performance on the left, after a shaky start.

However, Paul Le Guen's team looked low on confidence and ideas throughout, grabbing a single goal through substitute Achille Webo's speculative shot which ended up in Portuguese goalkeeper Eduardo's bottom left-hand corner.

Portugal were a team on the trail of a confidence-boosting performance themselves after a demoralising 0-0 draw against Cape Verde last week, and duly found one, with Cristiano Ronaldo producing an assured captain's performance, creating most of his team's opportunities.

Ronaldo is still seeking his first goal for his country in almost two years, but he saw his former Manchester United team-mate Nani produce a fine chip for the winner, after Meireles had grabbed a brace.