What is the Vuvuzela

What's plastic, a metre long, brightly coloured and sounds like an elephant? It's the vuvuzela, the noise-making trumpet of South African football fans, and it's come to symbolise the sport in the country.

It's an instrument, but not always a musical one. Describing the atmosphere in a stadium packed with thousands of fans blowing their vuvuzelas is difficult. Up close it's an elephant, sure, but en masse the sound is more like a massive swarm of very angry bees.

And when there's action near the goal mouth, those bees go really crazy.

To get that sound out requires lip flexibility and lung strength - in short, a fair amount of technique. So be sure to get in some practice before attending a South African football match, or you the sound you produce may cause some amusement in the seats around you!

Vuvuzela supplier Boogieblast offers this advice: "Put your lips inside the mouthpiece and almost make a 'farting' sound. Relax your cheeks and let your lips vibrate inside the mouthpiece. As soon as you get that trumpeting sound, blow harder until you reach a ridiculously loud 'boogying blast'.

How can I buy tickets for the 2010 Fifa World Cup

Fourth sales phase is NOW OPEN !

Ticket applications submitted during this stage will be processed, subject to availability, on a first come first served basis - in the order of receipt.

Visit the 2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa™ ticketing website at www.Fifa.com and apply for tickets using one of your payment methods that are accepted by FIFA and are authorized by your issuing bank to transact online. 


Visa is the preferred payment method of the 2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa.


BOOK YOUR TICKETS ONLINE ON OFFICIAL FIFA WEBSITE HERE

Fifa offered assitance over African medicines

By Rob Harris

The World Anti-Doping Agency is ready to help Fifa combat the potential use of stimulants from traditional African medicines before the World Cup.

WADA director general David Howman says he will respond to Fifa's appeal for help investigating how some African plants can give athletes an unfair advantage by providing energy boosts or helping to heal muscle injuries.

Howman says "we are only too happy to conduct more urgent research if required in advance of the World Cup."

There are fears that some plants can produce steroid byproducts that are not on WADA's list and aren't picked up in doping tests.

Fifa medical committee chairman Michel D'Hooghe says he isn't sure what all of these traditional medicines contain. - Sapa-AP

World Cup Camps Finalised

Berlin - Football's controlling body FIFA on Wednesday announced the base camps of the 32 World Cup finalists.

Although most teams play just one match in the Gauteng province, many of the teams opted to base themselves near Johannesburg and Pretoria.

The defending champions Italy chose the Leriba Lodge in Centurion outside Pretoria, where they will be virtual neighbours of the American side, who will be based in the Irene Country Lodge.

Germany, who will be staying in the Velmore Hotel have also opted for Pretoria as a base, as have Diego Maradona's Argentina, Slovakia, North Korea, New Zealand and Ghana, who originally said they were going to stay in Nelspruit.

The only team now staying in Nelspruit, which is close to the Kruger Park, is Chile.

The hosts South Africa, who were due to use Esselen Park as their base, had to change after the president of the South African Football Association (SAFA) Kirsten Nematandani found the proposed venue unsuitable as it was run-down.

The team will now stay in the Southern Sun hotel in Graystone Drive and train at a local high school.

SAFA CEO Leslie Sedibe earlier in the week described the situation pertaining to the Bafana base camp as "embarrassing".

He said that the previous SAFA administration was responsible as they had failed to upgrade Esselen Park.

"We knew in May 2004 we would host the World Cup. Therefore, it was expected that SAFA would secure the best available training camp as we are playing at home.

"But we did not and now we are asking why and what went wrong.

"Here we are, the host nation, being the last team (of the 32 in the World Cup) to secure a training base for our team," he said.

Also staying in Johannesburg are Mexico, Honduras, Serbia, the Netherlands, Slovenia and five-time world champions Brazil.

Uruguay meanwhile, have chosen Kimberley, which is known for diamond mining, while the 1998 world champions France will stay in the Pezula Resort Hotel and Spa in Knysna on the world-famous garden route.

Also staying on the Garden Route are Denmark (Knysna) and Japan, who chose Fancourt Hotel and Country Club in George.

African hopefuls Nigeria, Algeria and Cameroon are all staying in Durban with Greece the other team opting for a stay in the warmer climate in the city on the Indian Ocean.

Paraguay is stationed just some 40km outside Durban in Pietermaritzburg.

Rustenburg will play host to England and South Korea, while Australia have chosen Kloofzicht Lodge in Muldersdrift as their base.

Ivory Coast and Switzerland will be staying in Vanderbijlpark on the banks of the Vaal river, while Portugal chose the Valley Lodge in Magaliesburg.

Euro champions Spain, who are considered one of the favourites for the title, are staying in Potchefstroom.

FIFA has, however, said that the teams are still in a position to change their base camps.

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 Center, 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

Safety Report by SA Police

Cape Town - The safety and security of people in Cape Town will not be compromised in any way during the FIFA World Cup, Western Cape police promised on Wednesday.

"We will have enough policemen to make the World Cup a safe event," Saps Western Cape Director Robbie Roberts said.

Roberts added that day-to-day policing in the city would continue as any other day.

"We will never compromise the safety and security of the people of Cape Town during any event," he said.

Saps would be working together with the Cape Town Metro police, traffic police, disaster management and fire services to make sure that the tournament is as safe as possible.

He said the stadium is their main responsibility, but they will also focus on fan parks and hotels where visitors will be staying.

Roberts said a fully fledged police station would be functioning within the stadium, and cases would be dealt with immediately.

For instance, those arrested would not have to wait till Monday should they be arrested on a Friday.

"We will also have different language representatives at out 10111 call centres," he said.

"We're going around looking for volunteers who can help us [with the call centres]."

He also said police from the participating countries would help in providing security.

"They will be briefed and co-ordinated at national level," he said.

- News24

Win a trip to South Africa for the 2010 World Cup

Win a trip to beautiful South Africa to experience the first Fifa world cup on the African Continent.

I can assure you that we are going all out to make this the best world cup ever.

Here are some links to a few competitions to win this prize.

Competition 1    Competition 2    Competition 3


Good Luck and I look forward to seeing you.