World Cup: Where will your heroes be?


Reading time 3 min.
arton17052

The 32 teams are getting ready for the World Cup. The squads are obviously not yet known but the coaches already know where they’ll be sleeping. And the World Cup teams have snubbed the rainbow nation’s neighbours.

World Cup bound teams have snubbed South Africa’s neighbours who had hoped to cash in on the global football showcase.

All 31 teams plus the host would be based in South Africa, leaving
Botswana, Lesotho, Swaziland, Mozambique and Zimbabwe in the cold.
Despite its dilapidated infrastructure, hotels and stadiums, Zimbabwe
had tried to woo Brazil, among other countries.

To console themselves, a leading Zimbabwe hotel group boss, the group chief executive officer of Africa Sun Limited, Shingi Munyeza says Zimbabwe still stood to benefit from the World Cup.

“The first thing is that you have to realise that the tournament will be held in South Africa. Ours was to take the left overs”, he said.

“We will benefit but we must be clear that the tournament is in South
Africa, not Zimbabwe”, he added.

The final list of bases was announced Wednesday though FIFA said that
the teams are still in a position to change their base camps.

Countries in the region were hoping to cash-in on the global football showcase by hosting some of the participating countries. This would have in turn attracted their supporters, most of whom choose to stay near their teams.

A run through the list shows that most teams have chosen to crowed at
Gauteng province despite most of them playing one game in the province.

Meanwhile, an interesting development is unfolding in South Africa.

This week, South Africa’s tourism ministry ordered an investigation into allegations that World Cup hotel prices are unreasonably high. This comes a month after a similar government probe was launched to find out if local airlines were colluding to inflate fares.

The investigation is being conducted by government’s Competition Commission, which is charged with limiting monopolies and has a tribunal with the power to impose fines and other penalties.

An Internet check show a flight from Johannesburg to Cape Town that
cost 870 rand would cost 1 270 rand a day after the World Cup kicks off.

 World Cup bases for the 32 finalists:

Algeria, Zimbali Lodge, KwaZulu-Natal

Argentina, High Performance Centre, Pretoria

Australia, Kloofzicht Lodge, Gauteng

Brazil, The Fairway, Johannesburg
_Cameroon, Oyster Box, KwaZulu-Natal

Chile, Ingwenyama Conference Centre, Lowveld

Denmark, Simola Hotel Country Club, Knysna

England, Bafokeng Sports Campus, Rustenburg

France, Pezula Resort Hotel & Spa, Knysna

Germany, Velmore Hotel, Centurion

Ghana, Rhoode Valley, Eastern Cape

Greece, Beverly Hills Hotel, KwaZulu-Natal

Honduras, The Indaba Hotel, Johannesburg

Italy, Leriba Lodge, Pretoria

Ivory Coast, Riverside Hotel & Conference, Vaal, Gauteng

Japan, Fancourt Hotel & Counry Club, George

Mexico, Thaba Ya Batswana, Johannesburg

Netherlands, Hilton Sandton, Sandton

New Zealand, Serengeti Estate, Gauteng

Nigeria, Hampshire, Durban

North Korea, Protea Hotel Midrand, Johannesburg

Paraguay, Woodridge Country Estate, KwaZulu Natal

Portugal, Valley Lodge, Gauteng

Serbia, Sunnyside Park Hotel, Johannesburg

Slovakia, The Villas Luxury Suite Hotel, Pretoria

Slovenia, Hyde Park Southern Sun, Johannesburg,

Spain, NWU Campus, Potchefstroom

South Africa, Southern Sun Grayston, Sandton

South Korea, Hunters Rest Hotel, Rustenburg

Switzerland, Emerald Resort & Casino, Vanderbijlpark

United States, Irene Country Lodge, Pretoria

Uruguay, Protea Hotel Kimberley, Kimberley

2010 World Cup  South Africa's preparation to host the games on African soil for the first time but also individual African countries' determination to take part in the historic event. Five African countries - Cameroon, Nigeria, Algeria, South Africa and Ghana - are selected to join twenty seven teams from around the world to battle it out on the football pitch for the gold trophy. One by one, the African teams are eliminated, but Africans will not be bogged down as they rally behind their compatriots on the wings of the vuvuzela, a far cry from the near diplomatic row between Algeria and Egypt during the qualifiers. Ghana are the last team to leave but not before African unity becomes reality...
Support Follow Afrik-News on Google News