sport club

South Africa went into celebration mode at the final word of hosting the Fifa World Cup 2010 Soccer. This is amazing and a fantastic opportunity to show the world just what South Africa has to offer.

Major preparations are underway for this great event. Aspects include preparing the international airports to cater for the traffic inflow expected. Significant renovations are underway improving airport access, parking and baggage handling.

Stadiums are being built in the major areas where the games will be played and tourism establishments are stepping up the pace to offer world class accommodation adequately catering for more people.

Even tour companies are making sure that visitors - both viewers and participants of the Game will have a throughly wonderful experience when not within the stadium confines.

South Africa is making tremendous progress in this regard. The whole country is on board and so excited to show case the very best of South Africa.

Fortunately as the Games will be played in various of South African cities, there is a perfect chance to view plenty. Winelands, culture and beautiful beaches in the Western Cape, wide open spaces in the Free State, safari expeditions in the North West, mountains, mist and sites of amazing natural beauty in Mpumalanga, battlefields and beaches in Kwazulu Natal, peaceful and warm beaches in the Eastern Cape, as well as the world's biggest elephants, additional safari expeditions in Limpopo as well as culture galore in Gauteng.

South Africa welcomes the world to enjoy and savor its accommodation, dining and other experiences.

If you are not like me, you must be a football lover. Let me use the words "soccer" and "football" to mean the same thing whether you are from Europe or America. This time around, all attention is focused to South Africa. It's an historic event in the history of this country and Africa as a whole.
Looking at the official Match Schedule as released and published on FIFA's website and the number of the ticket applications received during the first sales phase that ended at midnight on 31 March with a total of 1,635,136 applications, one can begin to imagine the scramble.

The matches will be played in the following towns/areas:

• Cape Town,
• Durban,
• Johannesburg,
• Mangaung/Bloemfontein,
• Nelson Mandela Bay/Port Elizabeth,
• Nelspruit,
• Polokwane,
• Rustenburg,
• Tshwane/Pretoria.

One sure thing is that the whole world will not be at the pitches, not even all the South Africans. However, everyone that stays back is not necessarily not a lover of football. A good number of reasons account for this. You can start naming from lack of time because of other priorities, finance, and many others. If you are NOT packing your bags, there are other ways to be part of the tournament.

Don't ask me how because I know you certainly have a TV set with foreign channels. If your TV set can't follow you to the office or beach, I think the Internet can do. There are lots and lots of sites out there that will stream live images during the time. Also check the Net for some desktop applications that will bring the event closer to you.

With the 2010 FIFA World Cup road show about to kick off in nine South African cities, football fans are encouraged to discover the treasures of South Africa by following their chosen teams around. Matches will take place in or near virtually all the tourist hotspots, so when you are not bellowing for Kaka, Torres, Messi or Diego, why not opt for car rental and take time out to appreciate the rich diversity of South Africa.

Premier wildlife conservation areas

The biggest show on earth will begin in Johannesburg, a city built on the incomparable riches of gold that is still mined extensively today. Johannesburg itself may not be packed with attractions, but only a couple of hour's drive away is the world renowned Kruger National Park, one of the premier conservation areas of Africa.

A safe haven for the 'Big 5', the Kruger has a range of accommodation options, from luxurious bush lodges where your every need is taken care of to simple, self-catering rondavels. Earmark at least four days to unearth the delights of the African bushveld as this park is vast, covering 18,989km².

The centre of Zulu culture

The city of Durban on the KwaZulu Natal coastline is another hot favourite with visitors. It is slap bang in the centre of the traditional Zulu Kingdom, so guests will have the opportunity of steeping themselves in the exotic Zulu culture. Not far north of Durban, it's possible to visit an authentic Zulu Kraal or homestead, where you can interact with the local community, witness them crafting their traditional weapons of war - the assegai and knobkerrie - as well as enjoying traditional Zulu dances.

Home to the great Nelson Mandela

Port Elizabeth, in the Eastern Cape, is the nearest large, urban hub to the traditional home of world statesman and the first democratically elected president of South Africa, the great Nelson Mandela. It is also the traditional home of the Xhosa nation, numbered at about 12 million people.

The Eastern Cape is another area that has promoted conservation and there are several excellent private and national game reserves, all within an easy day's drive of PE. The Addo Elephant Park and the Shamwari Game Reserve are two premier wildlife destinations, but if the bush has begun to pall, make for the beautiful beach destinations of Cintsa, Morgan's Bay or the famed Coffee Bay in the Transkei.

Wine, whales and the Waterfront

The iconic city of Cape Town is scheduled to host 9 FIFA World Cup matches, including a quarter-final and a semi-final. However, in between these exciting encounters there is a veritable feast of attractions to discover, from the beautiful Cape wine estates to the best land-based whale watching in the world to the opulent V&A Waterfront. Take time out and discover the wonders of the southern tip of Africa - you won't regret it!

With less than a year to go for the 2010 FIFA World Cup football fans around the world are restless and can't wait to hear the first whistle blow! After all, it's a four year wait before one gets to see world class football that's pure magic! And the countdown has begun. This World Cup will be the 19th tournament and it's all set to take place in South Africa. So, keep the 11th of June to the 11th of July aside for some adrenalin pumping action!

It will be the first time that the World Cup is being hosted by South Africa. Nine cities across the country are being readied in terms of infrastructure and operations. Thousands of fans and tourists are expected to descend on South Africa to watch their favorite teams take centre stage in their national team uniforms. Overall, an estimated six billion people will watch the matches worldwide.

The CEO of the World Cup Organizing Committee, Dr Danny Jordaan admits that it's been a tough road at times, but he finds inspiration in the men and women who have worked tirelessly to ensure they go from the planning to the playing stage. "When you look at them and you look in their eyes you get a sense they've all decided, 'we won't let you down, we won't let the country down', and that they're going to make this work," says Jordaan. He hopes that when the final whistle has blown, Nelson Mandela and the many other freedom fighters will be smiling in the realization that the World Cup was delivered by both black and white coming together, that all their efforts and sacrifices were not in vain...

This World Cup's mascot is Zakumi, a cute leopard with green hair! He was born on the 16th of June 1994, the year that apartheid ended. The 'Za' in Zakumi is the international abbreviation for South Africa and 'kumi' means ten in many African languages. It also means 'come here' in some southern African languages. The green and yellow colors of the mascot stand for the host nation's flag and playing strip. Zakumi's designer, Andries Odendaal, explains that the animal's green hair was designed to provide camouflage on the football pitch.

With the qualifiers taking place, the heat is already on! There's been a global rush to apply for tickets to the 2010 World Cup. Bets are on as to who'll make it and who'll be left out. Some traditional favorites are already facing a tough challenge to qualify!

Putting aside relocation rumors, resettling controversies and preparation deadlines, the first FIFA World Cup in the African continent is all set to take your breath away! So, get your custom soccer jerseys out and get into the spirit of things! If you don't you're your favorite teams soccer jersey, it's high time you picked one up or you might not get any later! After all, we're talking about the World Cup here and fans are seriously loyal when it comes to supporting their favorite team!

A quality soccer uniform makes a team look and feel great, is durable enough to survive even the toughest playing conditions, and creates group solidarity. It should be comfortable to wear and be able to absorb sweat, helping regulate a player's body temperature. Soccer uniforms can be customized for team individuality, or a team can order and wear copies of their favorite professional soccer players' uniforms.

Soccer is a great way to get kids active and teach them about teamwork and cooperative play. Here are some of the things a little soccer player will need to complete his or her soccer uniform:

Jersey

Youth soccer jerseys come in many colors and patterns, usually with one dominant color and an accent stripe on the sides and sleeves. Colors can be specialized, or chosen from a list provided by a soccer supply company. The sleeves are short, the neck either rounded or v-neck, and the fabric is made from polyester, cotton blends, or nylon. Some soccer uniforms have a pattern knitted into the fabric, making it flashy. It's important for jerseys to be lightweight, durable, breathable, and be able to hold their color without fading.

Shorts

Soccer uniform shorts should offer the player plenty of support without being too tight or restricting. Side meshing allows for airflow and a drawstring at the waist band allows for a perfect fit. Soccer shorts are usually made of polyester, are either knit or woven, and have an inseam of 3-4 inches for youth sizes. It's important for soccer shorts to fit comfortably, never rubbing the skin raw or restricting motion. Shorts that are too loose will also hinder a player's running ability.

Cleats

Comfortable and well-fitted cleats are an essential part of a soccer uniform. Poor fitting cleats lead to blisters, sprained ankles, and falls. When buying a child cleats, make sure that they fit comfortably even with their socks and shin guards in place and take weather and playing conditions into consideration.

Socks

Socks may not seem very significant, but they can make or break a soccer uniform. Good socks keep a player's feet dry, warm, and protected from blisters. Synthetic material works best for soccer socks, because traditional cotton socks soak up sweat and stay wet. This can lead to blisters. Quality socks make soccer cleats more comfortable and cushion feet from the ravages of constant running.

With the return of Florentino Perez as Real Madrid's president it was just a matter of time before big monies exchanged hands to sign up the world's most marketable soccer stars. This is all with a view to bring back Real's glory days by becoming champions in Spain and Europe once again...

Perez hopes to repeat his earlier success of building a formidable Real team comprising of soccer greats such as Zidane, Luis Figo, Ronaldo and David Beckham. The beginning of 2000 saw this man go on a shopping spree that ended with these four stars in Madrid's bag for a cost of £132 million.

It seems Real paid AC Milan $94.90 million for Kaka, while Ronaldo was bought from Manchester United for $131.2 million, finally bringing to an end to months of speculation. Kaka seemed to be a 'reluctant hero' though, with his heart still set on his club AC Milan. But with the reality of global recession and the realization that at the end of the day clubs are businesses, he agreed to the move. It's his way of helping Milan get over its financial crisis. The 27 year old Brazilian went through a medical check up at the Brazilian national team's training camp in Recife and with that transfer was complete. Speaking at a press conference, Kaka clarified: "I can officially say I'm a Real Madrid player. My professional link with AC Milan finishes now, but my sentimental link will never end."

But you'll have to wait until the end of June to see Kaka in the famous Real Madrid soccer uniform since he has to fulfill his duty towards national team Brazil, who are all set to play in South Africa for the Confederations Cup. Whether he wears the famous number five soccer jersey is not clear. Though Perez would like him to wear the soccer shirt, Kaka has expressed his reservations. The Brazilian star felt: "Wearing the number five would be a great responsibility. Zidane was a great player, both for Real Madrid and for France, and I wouldn't like to wear the same number as he did."

Another record breaking deal saw Man U forward Ronaldo move to Real for a whopping $131.2million! In this case, it seems Ronaldo was keen to join Real since he had always dreamt of playing for the club as a young boy. After much denial, Manchester United released an official statement saying that they have received an offer to sell Ronaldo to Real for a price of £80 million. This makes it the highest price ever paid for a player in the history of football!

Ronaldo's leaving Man U means the celebrated number 7 soccer jersey, worn by soccer greats like George Best, Eric Cantona David Beckham, will now become available. And coach Sir Alex Ferguson will be left with the formidable to find a player worthy of its ancestry...

Now that Ronaldo and Kaka have been won over, rumors are flying thick that Franck Ribéry is next on Perez's much talked about shopping list...