Make FIFA 2010 Finals a Day to Remember

For the first time in the history of FIFA World cup, Spain and Netherlands are going to lock their horns for the top spot. Entry of Netherlands in the finals has ended their long wait of 32 years. Dutch fans all around the world are going to pray and hope for a fantastic performance by the team this Sunday. 'Sneijder' may even become the highest goal scorer of the 2010 World Cup. The win in the finals would certainly make them immortal but is it going to be that simple? The skillful Spanish team is not going to make it easy. Both the teams are in unbeatable spirit. The final match of 2010 World Cup is going to be the greatest event of the year. So how do we make it special? Not everyone can fly to Africa, but we can definitely create our own stadium-like experience.

Plan for a mini soccer stadium: Make arrangement for a place where some 20-30 friends can sit together. A large screen HD TV would give a near perfect picture, so hire it or even a projector will give good result. Make sure the room is large enough to accommodate all. Comfortable and relaxing seats should be provided.

Other basic arrangements: Make a list of friends to be invited and send them notice in advance. Organizers can charge them for all the arrangements. Ample supply of snacks and drinks are to be stored. To get the feel of the real stadium keep some team flags ready, decorate the room with team's colors and also keep some 'Wuwuzela' handy.

Distribute or sell some team merchandise: Team merchandise is a great way to show your support. Those supporting Spain can wear Spanish team T-shirts while those supporting Netherlands can sport Dutch team shirts. The mix of jacket, caps, headbands and other stuff can also be distributed.

Make alternate arrangement ready: In case if the connection or power supply goes off, there should be substitute arrangement like power back ups. You can also set the online feeds ready. There are many sites offering live streams online.

It comes only once in four year. And all the participating as well as non participating nation waits eagerly to catch glimpses of it. 19th FIFA 2010 World Cup is almost at the end of its journey. Let's make it an event to remember for another four years till it comes back again in Brazil in the year 2014.

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Underperforming Economic Sectors and a Strong Rand

With the Rand hovering around an all-time high against the dollar the last week, there is no surprise that the economy is feeling the knock on effects. According to Cees Bruggemans at FNB, the June 2010 manufacturing output was 8.8% higher than the same month last year and a 7% increase in the food and beverages sector respectively. These are both strong signs that the South African economy has fundamental strengths to support the tourism boom associated with the FIFA world cup.

While the growth of the South African Manufacturing and mining sectors continue to rebound from the lows of 2009, we are seeing a resistant bounce in other sectors of the economy less resilient to recessionary pressures. Durable and semi-durable goods have yet to see a turn around and repair of many of these sectors can only be expected in Q4 of 2010 or Q1 of 2011.

With the strong Rand currently trading at 7.2862 against the Dollar, according to forex traders eToro, further increases in the export markets could be dampened in turn having a knock on effect and slowing economic growth, which according to Reserve bank of South Africa is expected to hold steady at 2,9 per cent during 2010 compared to a forecasted global average of 4.6% predicted by the International Monetary Fund's World Economic Output report from July, 2010.

While much of the recovery will depend on the output of the underperforming sectors of the economy, it is important to see the strength of the Rand remains a major element of the repair. The Rand has built strength against the dollar much in part because of the instability in the Euro area and volatility of the EUR/USD paring.

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Where Can I Buy a FIFA Trophy Replica?

We've all seen the famous image of that golden muscular looking FIFA World Cup Soccer trophy in every sports magazine, on TV, movie ads, in video games and music videos. It has become a real pop up icon in the last month or so as South Africa counts down to the opening ceremonies of the World Cup Football Event in June 2010. At first, people did not een know what the little golden phallus shape was about when it popped up at the bottom of our TV screens while watching TLN. It certainly catches your eye and pretty soon we ALL know what it is and where it is and that we want to have one.

Some very clever entrepreneurs have taken this ball and run with it. Everyone can now have a FIFA trophy of their very own. Replicas of the World Cup are now available at very affordable prices; they are not made of solid 18 K gold like original soccer trophy, these fake FIFA trophies are made of a rather unusual substance called colophony. Colophony, is a resinous substance derived from the oleoresinous sap of pine and other coniferous trees. It's place of origin is said to be Colophon an ancient ionic city in present day Turkey and it has many other uses besides trophy making, including violin string resin, varnishes, adhesives, cosmetics, cleaning solvents, sports grips, fireworks, chewing gum and paper products.

The replica World Cup 2010 trophy is not made in turkey however; like many sports souvenirs, such as the Canada Olympic Red Mittens were made in China, the replica trophy is also manufactured there too. It's getting hard to find a product that is NOT made in China these days, so, though many naysayers will speak out about how the FIFA trophy replicas & souvenirs, could have been made in Africa, it is a fact of 21st century life that all this kind of stuff gets made in China.

The Chinese have been making resin statues and other products for thousands of years and they do a great job of it and the fake soccer trophies are no exception. They are shiny, golden, perfectly formed and even have the same heft in the hand as the real deal. The replicas are the exact same size and weight as the original trophy and they also come in smaller sizes; scale 1:2 and scale 1:16 as well as the miniature key chain FIFA trophy, pendant or "minicord" size.

So, if these replica trophies are not in stores, then where can you buy them? They are available to everyone in the world right now from online African Football Shops, classified ad sites, like Craigslist, and at public auctions everywhere. You will want to get one soon as there were a limited number manufactured and no word of any more coming. As they say in all the TV ads "Don't Delay!"

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PS3 Game Review - 2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa

EA Sports' FIFA Soccer series is wildly popular, and they wring more money out of the franchise however they can. One way is by seriously downplaying the international teams in the base FIFA series and releasing a special World Cup or Euro Tournament edition every two years, making suckers like me buy more than one soccer game in a year, over and over again. It's not quite manipulative, but it still makes me feel like a junkie reaching past FIFA 10 to pick up yet another soccer game off the shelf. There's nothing I can do about it, it just works.

FIFA World Cup South Africa lets you take any of 199 international teams all the way through the process of World Cup Qualification and into the Finals, any of them theoretically having the chance to win it all, even New Caledonia or Luxembourg. The base game mechanics are virtually indistinguishable from FIFA 10, except for a renovated, more detailed penalty kick system. The "Virtual Pro" mode, which lets the player control a single position player rather than the entire team, returns under the name "Captain Your Country," and "The Story of Qualification" lets you take on smaller bits of interesting real-life games over the past few years and try your hand at them.

The largest difference between FIFA 10 and FIFA World Cup is the teams themselves. While FIFA 10 has international teams, they aren't really included in any of the basic modes, there aren't that many countries, and the squads have no life or color to them. In FIFA World Cup, you can choose (from a limited pool) which players will represent their countries, which is an even more satisfying managerial choice than choosing squads at the club level. I think it's ridiculous that Vincenzo Iaquinta is a starting striker for Italy, so I can replace him with Giampaolo Pazzini any time I like. Coaches for a large number of teams are even modeled in-game, a nice bit of color for real fans. The entire game is basically made up of all-star teams, so the match-ups are just that much more interesting, and the nationalistic rivalries are more exciting to ponder than the local rivalries club teams usually deal with. If you start up a game between Cuba and the United States, the commentators will actually talk before the game about the tense history between the two countries, an awesome addition to the game.

The new penalty system adds more detail and tension to an already interesting meta-game within FIFA. Penalties are especially important in the World Cup (the last World Cup ended with a penalty shootout, after all) and the new system lets you try virtually everything a real player can do. There's an extra variable to worry about in the composure bar, which determines the amount of error in your shot, and you have to be gentle with aiming your shot so as not to kick it too far left or right. If you're feeling cocky and want to try a chip shot, you're welcome to, but the shot will be much harder to keep on frame. Or if you feel like attempting the famous Cristiano Ronaldo tactic of a sudden studder-step to try and see the goalie's diving intentions, it's all allowed in-game.

The "Captain Your Country" mode is a nice addition with a few flaws. There just aren't as many matches for a single player to worry about in international soccer, which is both good and bad for this mode. It's good in that it doesn't take forever for anything to happen. It's bad in that even on the harder difficulties, you'll have virtually no trouble soaring into the starting eleven of your country's team. There's not a lot of challenge to it if you can play competently. Another issue is that if your team fails to qualify for the World Cup or otherwise disappoints, then you're done. There is no next year to hope for, because that will have to wait for the next FIFA World Cup game.

FIFA World Cup isn't as detailed as FIFA 10, but it's still incredibly hard to resist for fans of international soccer. The graphics are even more beautiful, the gameplay is slightly improved, and the matchups are more interesting. The atmosphere of a World Cup is conveyed pretty well, and you just get the sense that every victory is that much more important than anything your club team did in FIFA 10. It's not a real game improvement but instead a natural advantage that FIFA World Cup has, but that doesn't make it any less valid for the player.

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The World Cup's African 'Big Five'

With the World Cup South Africa 2010 final approaching, the excitement is building and supporters of both teams, Holland and Spain are relishing the prospect of being crowned football world champions. But what happened to all of the African teams in this year's World Cup? All eyes were on the host nation already, so I think South Africa need no part in this article, so here is a run-down on the other 'big five'.

Ivory Coast

Upon qualifying, Ivory Coast and Chelsea striker Didier Drogba commented "I am very happy indeed because Ivory Coast is going to the World Cup for the second time." Ivory Coast finished 3rd in their group, unluckily being placed with two competition favourites, Brazil and Portugal.

Cameroon

Cameroon qualified for an record sixth time for the World Cup this year after a last day qualification against Morocco. Cameroon finished bottom of their group with no points, a disappointing and huge let down for all of their fans.

Nigeria

Nigeria's qualifying match was against fellow African team Kenya, they went from 1-0 down, to 2-1 up in the second half. Nigeria also finished bottom of their group with a mere one point to their name.

Algeria

Algeria got through to the World Cup by the skin of their teeth, their coach Rabah Saadane had this to say about it "They played with heart - they had so much heart and I think that's what made the difference. I think we will have time to prepare ourselves for the Cup in Africa now." Algeria disappointed in a group that was won by United States and England, by finishing last with a single point.

Ghana

Ghana were the first team through to the group stages after a 2-0 win over Sudan. Chelsea midfielder and Ghana International Michael Essien commented "The people of Ghana wanted us to win and we did not let them down. What a fantastic feeling to be the first African country to qualify for the first World Cup to be staged in Africa." Ghana were the only team to make it through the first round of the World Cup, they were brave throughout the competition and sadly knocked out in the quarter finals on penalties by Uruguay.

So now you know of the 'big five' of African football teams featured in this year's World Cup, time to learn about the wildlife 'big five' of Africa. This consists of lion, leopard, cape buffalo, rhino and elephant, which can be spotted in many Kenyan National Parks such as Amboseli and the world famous Masai Mara.

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Tickets Sales For FIFA World Cup - South Africa 2010

Based on recent report release by FIFA, due to the high demand for certain favorite team, specific tickets series for countries like England, Brazil, Argentina, Republic of Ireland and Netherlands were sold out.

However in a statement release on 16th June 2009, which is exactly one year till the kickoff of the 2010 World Cup, the second ticketing phase which will serve on first come, first serve basis will continue to be made public until the 16th November 2009. This maybe a great relief for supporters who has yet to book their ticket.

According to the FIFA press release, as of today, there have been a total of 630,021 tickets in 188 different countries and territories sold. Half of those total orders, which amounts to 630,021 tickets were submitted by the locals, South African. USA supporters have purchased the second largest number of tickets (73,441), followed by United Kingdom (42,907), Germany (30,880) and Australia (15,038). Sales from Italy National team supporters has reached 6,063 tickets orders, Brazil fans, 5,777 tickets and France National team supporters alrady purchased 5,106 tickets so far.

According to FIFA, The second phase of the ticket sales has seen more than 105,322 tickets confirmed and approved so far. There is also and incredible demand for individual match ticket. For the time being, an additional 72,000 ticket requests are currently being processed (confirmations are due at the end of this week). Should any confirmed ticket not be paid by the applicant, it will be made available to the public again.

Supporters are advised to submit their orders to the official FIFA ticketing sites to avoid fraudulent and high prices on unofficial sites. World Cup is the most awaited event to soccer fans across the globe. Although there is live telecast brought by local TV stations, the feeling of being in the stadium and watching your favorite team playing for glory is totally a different feeling.

For more information on tickets, venue, game schedule, participating countries and players visit 2010 WorldCup South Africa

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2010 FIFA World Cup - South Africa, to Be Or Not to Be?

I love football. Football is life. Football is the beautiful game. I am getting rushes of adrenalin to the head already just thinking about the 2010 FIFA World Cup.

In 2010 the entire pumped-up and emotive football world will descend in a riotous show of bliss upon majestic South Africa for the 2010 FIFA World Cup. Will South Africa be ready for them?

In 2006 FIFA chief Sepp Blatter made it very clear that there was to be no doubt about the 2010 FIFA World Cup being held in South Africa: "Plan A... Plan B... Plan C is that the 2010 World Cup will be staged in South Africa". The only contingency plan that would see South Africa not host the cup would be due to a natural catastrophe. In the same year, on behalf of Blatter in an address to the South African Parliment FIFA communications director Markus Seigler reinforced the notion that South Africa is doing just fine: "You are absolutely on schedule, you're absolutely on track. You're even more advanced than the Germans were four years ago...Any doubts are completely unfair. This country - and I know this country - is absolutely capable." Seigler capped it off with acknowledging that the previous host, Germany, had also faced adversity and added: "At least South Africa's economy is growing - Germany's is not."

In 2008 the rumour mill has not stopped churning out doubts about whether South Africa will host the 2010 FIFA World Cup. Word on the street is that the 2010 World Cup preparations have been plagued by a host of problems that could compromise vital deadlines. Stadium construction delays, striking workers, security fears, transport problems and the possibility of power outages are running rampant.

Port Elizabeth stadium is one of the main venues in the 2010 FIFA World Cup and is yet to be completed. Next year's Confederations Cup, a precursor to the competition for the World Cup, was slated to take place in the stadium but has since been pulled out of the Cup.

In an interview in Die Welt newspaper published on Monday July 14th, 2008 Franz Beckenbauer confirmed the event would be held in South Africa: "We in the FIFA executive are doing everything to have the World Cup take place in South Africa, even if we have to shut an eye every now and then. But I am sure that the World Cup in South Africa will take place."

However, Beckenbauer was out of the loop when it came to any knowledge about FIFA chief Sepp Blatter's actively searching for countries that would be ale to host the championship in the case of a natural catastrophe. In an interview with Sky News Beckenbauer explained: "Honestly, it was a surprise for me. I myself sit in FIFA's executive and even I don't know who are Blatter's candidates."
Whether the public is getting a load of double-speak about the whole affair is debatable. But on the bright side, it has been announced that vuvuzelas will not be banned.

Vuvuzelas, sometimes referred to as 'lepatatas' are air horns approximately one metre in length made from plastic and commonly seen at football matches all over the world. The name is said to originate from the Zulu for "making noise" although this is hotly disputed. Others say the name originates from the fact it makes a "vuvu" sound when blown, or even comes from the township slang related to the word for "shower".

Kaizer Chiefs supporters' spokesperson Saddam Maake who is credited with popularising the instrument was overjoyed to hear that the vuvuzela ban had been lifted: "When we got the message that vuvuzelas were going to be banned, we were disappointed. We knew it had become part of our culture and offered free entertainment during matches. I felt over the moon when I heard about the lifting of the ban."

Critics of the instrument feel that the noise detracts from the game, but Maake explains that people need to be educated about how to use the vuvuzelas correctly: "They have to know that you cannot blow it during moments of silence and when they blow it during the game they should do it to make rhythmic music."

The first FIFA World Cup was held in 1930 and has gained strength from year to year for every four years, halted only twice in1942 and 1946 by World War II.

In the eighteen FIFA tournaments that have been held seven nations have won the title. Brazil has the most World Cups team, having won the tournament five times. The current World Champions, Italy, follow with four titles, while Germany holds three. The other former champions are Uruguay (winners of the inaugural tournament) and Argentina with two titles each. England and France hold one title each.

The most recent World Cup Finals were held in Germany, where Italy was crowned the champion after beating France in the final.

We're already half way there. Those two long years are going to creep up on us and we will be looking for cheap ticket deals and packages to South Africa sooner than we think with our hearts pumping like they were shocked by 10,000 volts in anticipation of the spectacular event that the 2010 FIFA World Cup is going to be. Bring on the joy.

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Tips to Finding the Right Internet Consultant

The first question that strikes one's mind while talking about internet marketing consultant is that why do you really need them? And as the article title reads, we are talking about South Africa here.

South Africa is a third world developing country where internet is available only to the privileged metropolitan areas. The rural areas are extremely backward and poverty stricken to think about technological advancements and the internet. They are bothered about making a living for befitting two meals a day.

So you can very well understand that internet marketing targets the upper echelons of the South African society. There is a certain perception that internet marketing will not yield any fruitful results in this third world country because it does not reach the mass.

On one hand even if this notion is true, one needs to understand the big proliferating market this unexplored region provides. The 2010 FIFA World Cup has shown to the world what South Africa can do.

The hospitality and grandeur arrangements in the country prove the possibilities of growth in the South African market. Just that one needs to start from the scratch to appeal the crowd.

Considering this and more, internet is an expensive commodity in South Africa. Most access it from their office and do not have any access to the internet at home.

At the same time, there are many wanting to embark upon self employment opportunities. Even if the South Africans do not have the full fledged access to the World Wide Web, they are quite aware of the quick money making opportunities the internet can provide.

If you are one of those privileged South Africans seeking luck in internet marketing, it is best to follow a few tips than be lost in the maze.

• Do not fall for the overseas internet marketing consultants charging exorbitant price due to the exchange rate differences to provide necessary advice on web design, on page search optimization, keyword searching, targeting and pay per click campaigns.

• Instead brush up your own skills. Then log onto the internet for finding locals. An internet marketing consultant with customer testimonials is one of the best solutions. At east this way you know you are not being bluffed because you have some idea about the internet marketing process yourself.

• Look out for those with fine reputation in the market for honest deals. Do not get trapped by the monopolistic internet marketing consultants. Undertake a thorough search to reap good benefits.

• Choose a niche market which you want to trade. Never flow with the tide. Check if the respective internet marketing consultants' strategies suit your needs and product promotion. If not, move onto another consultant. Satisfaction is very important, so do not compromise.

• Make sure that the consultant provides a South African based email address for your product. You do not want to start your business with a different identity of a first world country. Be proud of who you are. Remain calm and you will overcome every obstacle in achieving your dream job of internet marketing.

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Recover Lost Images Taken From 2010 FIFA World Cup

Today I see a question on a forum, "I took hundreds of images when I went to 2010 FIFA World Cup Ceremony and the match of Argentina VS Nigeria. I was looking through them to see which ones are 'not so good' for the SD card space is not enough. But by mistake I pressed the 'Delete All Folders' from my camera. All my images are gone. Can I recover these deleted images from the camera? I really want them."

2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa is already in full swing, many football fans want to go to South Africa and to cheer for their favorite football players, to experience the atmosphere of World Cup. To go to watch World Cup with a digital camera is a normal matter for football fans to capture wonderful moments for memory. All these moments happen only one time, so these valuable images are irreplaceable. Digital camera can bring us much convenience, but the above problem can happen all the time.

Problems & situations that we sometimes encounter:

1. The space of SD card is not enough because you have already taken many pictures and videos, but you want to capture amazing competition fragments and shining football stars. You have to delete some "not so good' ones, but you are too excited in that exciting atmosphere, by mistake, you press 'Delete All 'button.

2. The battery is low; As a loyal and enthusiastic football fans, you force starting the camera for the wonderful moment which you really want to capture during 2010 FIFA World Cup.

3. Transfer images from your digital camera to PC after coming back from 2010 FIFA World Cup. You assume the downloading was finished, so you delete the images from camera. To your surprise, I find that the images are not in the target location you specify. The images are gone!

Solutions:

Don'ts:
Don't panic, you can recover your images of 2010 FIFA World Cup. Take situation 1 as an example. The images you deleted are still on your SD card. When you delete images, the image itself isn't deleted, just the index entry that says where the data for those files was deleted. The space containing the deleted images is also now marked as free space so it is available to the system for any new files to be written there instead.

Don't take any more images or save any other files to the SD card. Or your deleted images will be overwritten, which means that you no longer have chances to recover them.

Dos:
Do a quick image recovery as soon as possible. (If you are still in the arena of 2010 FIFA World Cup, and can't help taking more wonderful images, you'd better take out the deleted memory card from your camera and put it in a safe place). The trick to recover your lost images is to find a right image recovery software. Various image recovery tools are available such as Wondershare Photo Recovery. Wondershare Photo Recovery can recover lost images, and videos from digital cameras. The easy-to -use and user-friendly interfaces let you recover images without any difficulty. Preview thumbnail helps you enjoy recovery effects in advance. It supports all Windows operating systems such as Win7 64 /32 / Vista 64/32XP / 2003 / 2000 / 9X.

Tips:
Back up your images frequently. Do not simply trust your camera, capacious memory card, and your other storage devices. Accidents can happen on any device at any time. So back up all your critical images and you can enjoy taking numerous images as you want during 2010 FIFA World Cup.

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Getting Rich is Not the Reality

When it was declared that South Africa will host the FIFA World Cup 2010, it was acclaimed as a way of uplifting African economy. According to the report of Alex Duval Smith, though this being the biggest event in this planet it can have a very little or negligible impact on the poor section of Africa. First to be written in the pages of history, when the game kicks off at Johannesburg, it looks a playground of the privileged. The game brings with it the world's most famous and rich players, but the chance to capitalize the situation and have a healthy economic prospect looks undermined.

The informal trader in Africa plays a big hand and is a vital factor of African economy. But unfortunately due to the insistence of FIFA, the African government has banned informal traders to run business from around the 10 stadiums where matches will be played. FIFA President, Sepp Blatter insisted that the objective of the whole program is to give Africa back for its contribution to world football through it's involvement in the game. He has spotted 20 centers at Africa to build it as the centre of academies. But radical columnist are here to make his statement wrong by saying that what Mr. Blatter is going to give Africa in the upcoming days is a month long euphoria but nothing more to change their economic realities.

If you are driven by the lines of the FIFA President then you are sure to be disappointed, because you are not going to see what he promises to make you see, says world's leading sports economists. The spending by visitors during the World Cup will be much less that what the government of South Africa will have to shell out to build world class infrastructure to host the event. Last time it was Germany, and obviously it was not at all a problem for a country like Germany to get prepared for the event. Germany already had good stadiums and if not also there would not have been a problem for them to build those. But such is not the case here. South Africa is sure to find it really difficult to do with such huge funds allocation in order to build the 10 stadiums it built. For instance is the world cup at 2002, where South Korea's K-league found it hard to fill the new stadiums which were built at a cost more than $2 billion.

Hosting a glamorous event like world cup can bring a electrifying moment with joy and happiness to stay for a while. But to people who lives at a meager $2 a day, world cup do not brings any change to their life whatsoever. The people who live at $2 a day find it hard to meet their very basic requirement of 2 meals a day can hardly imagine to get joy in watching game of football. Because when stomach bites you everything else flies away from your mind. So what the Africans are going to witness is all about joy and happiness but not much of the wealth they are given hope.

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South Africa 2010 World Cup Football

FIFA is back! After a successful 18th edition of the football's biggest international event, it's time for Africa! South Africa, also called the Rainbow nation, is the host country for the 19th FIFA World Cup. Starting June 11th, the focus would be on South Africa, both on and off the field. Here's a closer look at the country's preparations.

19th FIFA World Cup 2010 will feature 64 matches in all and these have been staged in ten different venues in nine different cities across the length and breadth of the beautiful Rainbow nation. In fact, this is the first time that an African country is hosting the World Cup.

The venues for the matches are Cape Town, Durban, Bloemfontein, Port Elizabeth, Nelspruit, Polokwane, Rustenburg, Pretoria and two different stadiums at Johannesburg. The preparations for this were started long back. Half the stadiums at the venues were built from scratch and other five were upgraded. The opening and the grand finale of the tournament have been staged at Johannesburg soccer Venue.

In terms of audience turnout and television viewership, FIFA is indeed one of the most closely followed sporting events around the globe. Irrespective of the fact whether the native country plays or not, the football World Cup has viewers drawn from all corners of world. This time around, the expected audience turnout is estimated to be close to 600 000. According to the estimated figures, FIFA 2010 is expected to leave gross impact of R93 billion on the host country.

However, this would not be a first for South Africa. The country has been hosts to a wide range of many major global sporting events in the recent past. As hosts, South Africa has successfully managed the Rugby World Cup in 1995, the 2003 ICC Cricket World Cup, A1 Grand Prix in 2006, the 2009 edition of the Indian Premier League and also FIFA Confederations Cup in June last year. With an exceptional performance in these, the Rainbow nation has set high standards for itself and the country promises to make every effort to make it a grand success.

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Meet FIFA's Soccer Ambassadors

Abedi Pele, former Ghanaian international soccer player and captain, is regarded as the greatest player in Ghana's history and amongst the best in the African continent. As a pioneer of African soccer in European clubs, Pele played for Italian, Swiss, German, and French teams. He also played 67 times for his country in the 80's and 90's. Named African Footballer of the Year in 1991, 1992 and 1993, his name was also included as one of the 125 Greatest Living Footballers in March 2004. Though he never got to play a World Cup, he dominated African soccer for nearly a decade. Today, Pele owns a club that nurtures young talent to join the fledgling league of Ghana. This legend is deeply involved with charity work and is one of the continent's most respected Ambassadors. As a member of FIFA's Football Committee, Pele has the honor of taking part in the maximum number of charity matches than any other African player.

Jomo Sono lost his soccer star father in a car crash at the age of 8. His mother abandoned him and Sono was looked after by his ailing grandparents. At the age of 10, he sold apples and peanuts during soccer matches. During a soccer match one of the players was absent and Sono was asked to quickly put on a soccer shirt and stand in for the player! That was the beginning of Sono's illustrious career. He soon became known for his incredible dribbling and accurate passing skills. A fan gave Sono the nickname Jomo, or burning spear, since he saw in him the same leadership qualities as the President of Kenya, Jomo Kenyatta. And Sono sure did live up to his name! Having played for Orlando Pirates, he went to play for New York Cosmos alongside Brazil's Pele. On his return, he bought the Highlands Park Club and renamed it Jomo Cosmos in honor of his old team. The club achieved great success and Sono developed new talent for Bafana Bafana, South Africa's national team. Today, the Black Prince is the longest serving coach in South Africa's Premier League and is also on the board of the Premier League. Former Cameroonian forward, Roger Milla, is one of the first African players to become a major international soccer star. Having represented his country in three World Cups, Milla attained international stardom at the age of 38 when most footballers retire! Wearing the famous number 9 soccer shirt, he went on to score 4 goals in the 1990 World Cup, which got Cameroon into the quarterfinals. He also made it to Pele's list of the 125 greatest living footballers. Besides winning numerous distinctions on the soccer field, Milla serves as an Ambassador for Cameroon and UNAIDS.

Liberian George Weah played for clubs in France, Italy and England for 14 years. The year 1995 saw him become the FIFA World Player of the Year, European Footballer of the Year, and African Footballer of the Year. Considered as one of the best African footballers ever, Weah has since taken up humanitarian and political causes in Liberia. Through soccer he spreads joy and promotes education among children. As President of the Junior Professionals, Weah discovered many a talent who have gone on to play for the Liberian national team.

Lucas Radebe, former South African player and national team captain, began his career as a goalkeeper. He later moved to the Kaizer Chiefs where he played as a midfielder. Radebe then joined the South African National Team in 1992. The year 1994 saw him move to wear the Leeds United soccer uniforms, where he became a huge soccer star and captain. Radebe was also captain of the South African national team during the 1998 and 2002 World Cups. Radebe is FIFA's Ambassador for the SOS Children's Villages.

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2010 FIFA World Cup - Group H Roundup - First Round

The first upset of the 2010 FIFA World Cup came in Group H. It was a memorable result, although the matches were not particularly exciting. Chile overcame Central American side Honduras 1-0 in the first match of the day. Following that was a memorable upset, when Switzerland beat European champions Spain 1-0 through a second-half strike.

Chile (1) versus Honduras (0) at Mbombela Stadium, Nelspruit

The South American side, Chile, was the favourites in the Hispanic clash between the Spanish-speaking countries. Honduras was playing in only their second World Cup Finals. In their first finals, they drew against Spain and Northern Ireland before falling to Yugoslavia. Honduras had a few moments in the game, but Chile dictated the pace for the majority of the game. Chile took the lead fortuitously in the 34th minute when Jean Beausejour bundled in the ball off a deflection from a Honduran defender.

The Chileans' short, crisp passing helped them keep possession and launch repeated attacks on the hapless Hondurans. The match statistics reflected Chile's dominance as they had 64% of possession and out-shot the Central Americans 22 to 7. Honduras only had one shot on target compared to Chile's five. The play from the Hondurans was scrappy and unorganised and the 1-0 defeat flattered them.

Switzerland (1) versus Spain (0) at Durban Stadium, Durban

The game between Switzerland and Spain resembled the match between Chile and Honduras, except that Switzerland scored and kept the dominant team at bay for the majority if the game. The Spaniards dominated the Swiss in all departments, except the one that really matters - goals scored. Switzerland took the lead when Gelson Fernandes poked the ball into the net within the goal area after Erin Derdiyok fell over Iker Casillas' challenge.

Spain's quality showed but they were unable to break down the organised Swiss defence, even after injury forced Phillipe Senderos off the pitch in the first half. Spain had 74% of the possession and out-shot Switzerland 25 to 9 on the day. Despite the domination, the upset occurred, leaving Switzerland's chances of advancing very high. Given the opening result, Spain would likely have to beat Chile as well in order to advance.

Group H was left interestingly poised after the opening round. Only one result went as expected (Chile versus Honduras). The Swiss upset added some spark to an otherwise dour World Cup Finals that was characterized by cautious play.

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The FIFA World Cup 2010 Tickets

It is known, that the application for the sale of the FIFA World Cup 2010 tickets started already in 2009. It was important to apply before 31st March directly on the web page of FIFA.com itself. Everyone who applied had equal chances to receive what they applied for.

But what is happening now, that the World Cup is already in full gears? Are there still chances for the late comers to get tickets? We are already in the so called "Late Phase" defined so by FIFA concerning the tickets' sale, which goes from April 15th 2010 until July 11th 2010, the last day of the World Cup.

The ticket sale has been ruled on a first come first served basis. The only place where to order the FIFA World Cup 2010 tickets is on the FIFA Ticketing Website, where you will be sure to get access to the matches once you have bought them. There might even be a parallel market, but it is not advisable to go for it, as you might be ending up spending a lot of money to watch the games you have bought tickets for on the TV in the parking lot of the stadium you were supposed to enter.

On the FIFA.com website you have to go to the "Ticketing" section, there you can find all necessary information. You can check out the news, but what really is interesting to click right away on "Buy Tickets" where you can log in if you are registered or if not you can register. Once you have bought your tickets you can check out where to collect them clicking on "Ticketing Collection Locations".

If you are not sure yet how much you can spend and what matches you want to go to you can check this information out on "Matches and Prices", there you will find Individual Match Tickets prices, Team Specific Tickets Prices,  Opening Match Premium. All prices are either in USD or Rands and one category is reserved to South African residents. Furthermore there are special prices for wheelchair holders.

If you have not yet made any arrangements for the FIFA World Cup 2010 tickets for the finals you better start early, even though at this stage you are unable to know if the team of your heart is going to make it through to that stage.

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Football World Cup 2010

The hugely popular 2010 FIFA Cup is a big craze among football lovers. There is a considerably huge number of online 2010 World Cup Ticket Sales with approximately one million of ticket request submissions. Isn't it astounding? You would be astonished to know that around 743 000 ticket submission applications from 160 countries have already hit the market!

The largest number of 2010 world cup ticket application requests from the abroad sport lovers have come from United Kingdom and trailed by USA. Jerome Valcke, the Secretary General of FIFA has stated, "We have had a phenomenal response from football fans around the world. We do expect a last-minute rush over the next few days to submit applications to beat the March 31 deadline - in particular in South Africa." He further added, "This is the best chance to secure a ticket at an early stage, so as not to miss out on this unique opportunity to be part of the first FIFA Cup on African soil."

Interestingly, requests for the Team Specific Series comprised of fifty percent of the total applications. The major cause for the huge popularity of Team Specific Series is that it enables the sports enthusiast to follow his/her favorite team throughout the championship. Year 2002 marked the debut of this Team Specific Series package.

If you are also looking forward for the upcoming 2010 Football World Cup in South Africa then do not waste your time, as Football Cup tickets will vanish soon from the scene. Moreover, out of the three million 2010 Cup Tickets, international sport lovers will be catered with one million tickets.

So, without thinking twice, book your soccer world cup tickets at the worldcupticketservice.com. We are the renowned 2010 fifa Cup Ticket providers at cheapest prices. Book your affordable World Cup Tickets now!

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FIFA World Cup 2010 - Cameroon Vs Holland Preview

Both these teams know where they stand in respect of the tournament, regardless of the result of this match, scheduled for Thursday.

Holland have already qualified for the round of 16, and Cameroon have already been knocked out of the World Cup. Cameroon will however be anxious to leave on a high note, and are likely to play their heart out. Despite their loss to Denmark in their last match, Cameroon put up a good show, and they will be keen to continue the good work against Holland.

The two previous meetings of these two teams were friendlies in 1998 and 2006, with Holland winning the second by a lone goal, and the earlier one a goalless draw.

Pre-tournament predictions had greater expectations from Cameroon, as they have the most World Cup experience among African teams, and Thursday's match will be their 20th.

The induction of seniors, Achille Emana and Geremi, and Alexandre Song, of Arsenal, made a positive difference for Cameroon in the Denmark match.

Samuel Eto'o did a much better job in the middle. The team will have to improve their finishing quality, if they want to impress against the Holland defence. Also, their own defence was less than adequate against Denmark.

Denmark's win over Cameroon's has ensured Holland's transition to the round of 16. Coach Bert Van Marwijk will be able to try out bench players while protecting his regulars from injury and resting them ahead of the big battles in the knock out stages. Klaas-Jan Huntelaar and Eljero Elia can expect to play and work up some form ahead of the knockout matches.

After their outstanding showing in the qualifiers, Holland's performance in their first two group E matches was disappointing, although they won both. The good news for Holland is that their defending was solid, while midfielders  Mark van Bommel and Nigel de Jong also lived up to expectations. This enabled Wesley Sneijder freedom up front.

Robin van Persie and Arjen Robben are likely to miss this match, though Robben who is nursing an injury might get some practice as a substitute.

Gregory Van Der Wiel and De Jong both of whom were awarded yellow cards in the group matches,  are also likely to sit this match out.

Inter Milan striker Samuel Eto'o was the most impressive Cameroon player against Denmark, and gave his team the lead. Eto'o was wasted on the right wing against Japan, and coach Paul Le Gluen gave him a central role in the Denmark game, with immediate results.

Winger Eljero Elia's speed made an impression for Holland against Denmark, and Dirk Kuyt was able to score off the rebound after Elia's shot hit the post. Cameroon's defence will be sorely tested by Elia.

Cameroon is likely to go with a largely unchanged team from the one that played in the Denmark match. Bennoit Assou-Ekotto may adopt a more defensive mould.

Affelay and Elia are likely to give flank support to Huntelaar while Demy De Zeeuw could play as a defensive midfielder, replacing Nigel De Jong.

Veterans Mark Van Bommel and Rafael Van Der Vaart are likely to play influential hands and combined with the pace of Elia and Affelay could make life difficult for Cameroon.

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FIFA World Cup 2010 - Team Profile Spain

Spain are favourites to win the 2010 FIFA World Cup, ahead of 5 times champions Brazil, and defending champions, Italy. They capped their Euro 2008 title with a clean sweep of the qualification matches, leading up to the World Cup.

Their formidable forward line is led by David Villa, who top scored in the European Championship, and Fernando Torres, the popular star of Liverpool. Their mid-field has Xavi and Andres Iniesta, both Barcelona players, with a strong defence comprising Sergio Ramos and Carlos Puyol, alongside goalie, Iker Casillas.

Vicente Del Bosque who took over as coach from Luis Aragones hopes to build on his predecessor's Euro 2008 success.

In Torres, Spain boast one of the world's most prolific goal scorers; this will be Torres' second World Cup. Torres credits his goal scoring skills to his early experience with Atletico Madrid.

Given the talent of this Spanish team, they need to guard against over-confidence, and look beyond their past when they have tended to perform below potential.

A player to watch is the 21 year old right back, Juan Manuel Mata, whose stint with Valencia has seen him mature into a formidable player. Apart from assisting the forwards, Mata has a happy propensity for scoring goals.

Spain, who are in group H, along with Chile, Honduras and Switzerland are expected to head their group, and are likely to play Portugal in the pre-quarter-final round. They are likely to face defending champions, Italy, in the quarter finals, the first real challenge they are likely to face.

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Amazing Facts About FIFA World Cup 2010

FIFA world Cup is an event which is organized in every four years by the Federation Internationale de Football Association. In this event the men's national football teams of various countries take part. In order to qualify for the world cup, all the football playing nations must qualify for the qualifier matches which are played before the actual world cup. Currently 32 teams are selected for the competition which is organized for duration of one month.

In 2010 the 19th FIFA World Cup is going to be organized in South Africa from 11th June to 11th July. South Africa is going to be the first Africa nation to hold this world cup. The mascot for this year's event is going to be Zakumi which is an "anthropomorphised leopard" who has green hair and yellow body. The motto that is chosen for the event is ""Zakumi's game is Fair Play."

Venues for the matches
Mainly ten venues are chosen for all the matches would be played for the duration of one month. The venues are stated below.

1. Port Elizabeth: Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium
2. Durban: Moses Mabhida Stadium
3. Johannesburg: Ellis Park Stadium
4. Cape Town: Cape Town Stadium
5. Pretoria: Loftus Versfeld Stadium
6. Bloemfontein: Free State Stadium
7. Nelspruit: Mbombela Stadium
8. Polokwane: Peter Mokaba Stadium
9. Rustenburg: Royal Bafokeng Stadium
10. Johannesburg: Soccer City

A large amount of money has been spent on the construction of five brand new football stadiums and renovation work is going on at the five old stadiums. New roads have been constructed and transportation facilities have been improved for the benefit of the public.

Football world Cup is a major event for all the football enthusiasts and that is why a large number of fans are expected to arrive in South Africa before the starting on the world cup. The 32 nations that are participating in this year's world have been divided into for groups.

Group A
1. Netherlands,
2. Brazil
3. Spain
4. England
5. South Africa
6. Argentina
7. Germany
8. Italy

Group B
1. Nigeria
2. Cameroon
3. Chile
4. Paraguay
5. Cote d'Ivoire
6. Algeria
7. Uruguay
8. Ghana

Group C
1. Korea DPR
2. Australia
3. Japan
4. Honduras
5. United States
6. Korea Republic
7. New Zealand
8. Mexico

Group D
1. Slovenia
2. Denmark
3. Greece
4. France
5. Portugal
6. Serbia
7. Switzerland
8. Slovakia

The final match is going to be held on 11th July, 2010. The opening and closing ceremonies of this event are going to be organized on a grand scale and various well known celebrities and performers will take part in the celebrations.

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FIFA World Cup 2010 - Cameroon Versus Denmark Preview

Denmark and Cameroon will meet in their crucial group E match on Saturday. Both lost their opening matches, but they can still hope to qualify, provided Japan lose to Holland.

The teams have met twice in the past, winning one each. As Cameroon are yet to play Holland, they will be under greater pressure to win this match, and keep their hopes alive.

Against Japan, Cameroon failed to convert the opportunities created by their Samuel Eto'o led midfield. If anything, their finishing will need to be much better against the Danes, if they have to have any chance in the match.

Although their toughest match (against Holland) is behind them, Denmark cannot afford to relax against Cameroon. Even a draw should suffice for the Danes, if they go on to beat Japan in the last match, always assuming that Japan don't win or even draw against Holland.

Holland dominated possession in the latter part of their match against the Danes; Denmark's midfield was rendered ineffective. Daniel Agger's own goal spelt doom for the Danes, but it was always evident who was going to win the match.

Regardless of their performance against the Dutch, there is unlikely to be any change in the Denmark team, given the paucity of options. Thomas Enevoldsen and Dennis Rommedahl will give flank support to Bendtner who will go it alone up front.

Samuel Eto'o wouldn't want to leave the World Cup without proving a point or two. He will be chafing at the bit, particularly after Roger Milla's criticism before the World Cup.

Denmark's defender Simon Kjaer is the reigning Danish Player of the Year, and the team will trust Kjaer to keep Cameroon's Pierre Webo and Samuel Eto'o in check.

Denmark expect Bendtner to play a bigger role than he did against Holland, when he was handicapped by a groin injury that restricted the time he could spend on the field. Denmark is likely to rely on its strong defence to soak up pressure initially and take the initiative in midfield.

Cameroon's lack of creativity was evident against Japan, and that is going to be the crunch against the stolid Danes who are capable of fleet-footed counter-attacks, riding on the shoulders of Rommedahl and Jorgensen.

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iPhone 4 G Giveaway - Get Your Free iPhone

This might sound like nonsense but there are a lot of companies out there that are giving away the new iPhone 4 for free. Of course, they don't hand them out to random people on the street. They give them to participants in software testing programs.

You too could get one. Software testing might sound difficult but it really isn't. That's because there are two types of testing. First, the software engineers test the application to see if it meets all the technical parameters and then the company hands it out to regular people to get an idea about how it will be received by the general public once it hits the market and whether or not it's easy to use and intuitive enough for most people.

Taking part in a testing program is fun, easy and rewarding. Plus, you won't need previous experience or references and everything is done from home so the testing won't interfere with your day job or regular schedule. What you have to do is take the iPhone 4 they will give you with the application installed on it and use it for a week just like a regular buyer would. After that you will have to provide the software manufacturer with your honest feedback about their product.

And as a reward for your services you won't be paid in cash but you will get to keep the hot new iPhone 4 for free. Plus, you will be able to take part in future testing programs if you want and get even more free gadgets.

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What 4G Means For You

4G refers to the fourth generation in cellular wireless technology standards. It is the successor to 3G, which has been the standard for cellular wireless technology till now. Each generation represents a dramatic shift in the technology and nature of the service, with the first generation (1G) being analogue, the second generation (2G) marking a step into the digital domain and the third generation (3G) bringing in advanced features like multimedia support and higher speeds. And now 4G looks to redefine the service yet again with gigabit level speeds and other advantages.

While there are a lot of technical changes in 4G, a major one being that unlike 3G it will be based on packet switched switching only, most consumers need not worry about that. To them, what will matter is what 4G brings to the table. And what it brings is an array of never before seen features and conveniences.

* Blazing Speed: - While 3G offers a frequency band of 1.8 - 2.5GHz, 4G can give you a range of 2 to 8 GHz. And data rate speeds? Well with 3G, it was limited to 2Mbps, whereas 4G speeds can range from 100 Mbps while moving to 1 Gbps when stationary. That means no more waiting for mobile Youtube to buffer.

* Internet wherever you go: - VSF-OFCDM and VSF-CDMA standards that are incorporated in 4G will allow high speed uplink and downlink no matter where you are. This means uninterrupted internet on your mobile.

* Fewer disruptions: - The FEC technology, or Forward Error Correction used by 4G allows for larger data packets, reducing the error rate. The end result is a noticeable increase in data through - put.

4G is quickly replacing 3G as the default wireless standard. A recent survey found out that in a few years, more people will be accessing the internet through mobile devices rather than desktops. No doubt 4G is paving the way for that.

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FIFA World Cup 2010 - Group F Preview

The friendlies that Italy played leading up to the Cup were anything but friendly. An uninitiated stranger to football who happened to witness Italy's shock 2-1 loss to Mexico, followed by a 1-1 draw against Switzerland would be forgiven if he did not know that he had just seen the defending champions in action.

Be that as it may, Italy should have it easy, in group F. Take a look at the other teams. Paraguay are merely journeymen, New Zealand have no expectations, and Slovakia were simply lucky to qualify.

Italy have met and beaten each of the others, at some time or other. The team that could come closest to delivering an upset are Paraguay. In the preliminary stage of Olympics 2004, they did beat Italy, 1-0.

The Kiwis put up a good showing in a friendly against the World Champions, last year, when they scored 3 goals to Italy's 4.

Qualifying for this tournament has been Slovakia's greatest achievement since the break-up of the erstwhile Czechoslovakia. On their solitary meeting with Italy on a football field, they were handed a 3-0 thrashing. Neither New Zealand nor Paraguay have played Slovakia, before.

Paraguay's recent claim to fame was their 1-0 win against Argentina, in the qualifiers. Also, they got the better of the Kiwis, in their last meeting. But that was 15 years ago.

So is there an upset on the cards? I think not. Sit back and watch the Azzuris avenge their 2004 defeat to Paraguay, in style!

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A World Cup Experience

Every four years the world stops to watch one game loved by all, the FIFA World Cup. Started as a tradition in 1930 pitting the best football clubs in the world against one another, the World Cup has grown to be the most watched sporting event in the world. Billions of people gather around their television sets to watch their favorite team compete for the most coveted trophy in sport, the Jules Rimet Cup. This event attracts millions of visitors to the host city, providing a great opportunity to showcase the local flavor and culture of that particular city.

Originally alternating between Europe and the America's, FIFA World Cup host cities were expanded to Korea and Japan as co-host cities in 2002. This year's Cup is being held in South Africa, making it the first World Cup to be held on African soil. The Cup kicks off on June 11 and continues until July 11 when a champion is crowned. Being a host city is a very prestigious accolade to add to a cities history, much like being an Olympic host city. Each host city expects an average of 3 million people to visit their city to watch up to 64 matches.

The host city is announced about 8 years prior to the matches, which allows each city time to prepare for the matches as well as the visitors that come with the World Cup. The host city is given the opportunity to show off its unique culture and everything the city has to offer. Preparations include opening of new hotels, restaurants, and stadiums as well as other cultural mainstays designed to keep millions of fans entertained when they are not rooting their home country on. Attending a match is an experience unlike no other as the best of the city's culture and flavor is brought out during the month long event and is sure to be an experience to last a life time.

Find a cheap flight to South Africa and experience history!

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Review of Players Short Listed for the FIFA 2007 Player of the Year Award

It is time of the year where the FIFA world player of the year is decided by the votes of coaches and captains of national team worldwide.

But before we go into the discussion of the list of players drawn for 2007, an introduction of the mechanism of the system would be discussed first. The award was started in 1991 for the male player and in 2001 for the female player categories respectively. Basically, the coaches and national team captains would vote for players drawn by the technical committees of FIFA. The system used is called the Borda count where each coach and captain would get three votes (one of five points, one of three points and one of one point) to cast for the players of his choice. And the winner would be determined by the total of points received. The winner last year is Italian defender Fabio Cannavaro of Real Madrid.

Now to the list of players short listed for the award this year. Heading the list are five players of Italian descent, they are Cannavaro, Gianluigi Buffon, Gennaro Gattuso, Alessandro Nesta and Andrea Pirlo. Except for Cannavaro and Buffon (Juventus), the remaining three players of the UEFA 2006-2007 champions league winners AC Milan. However the chances of an Italian repeating the feat of winning is slim this year as the national team did not perform to its best after World Cup 2006 and as for domestically, the Serie A is recovering from the scars of the scandal hit season.

Next up would be the discussion of the English contenders for the title. They are Steven Gerrard (Liverpool), Frank Lampard (Chelsea), John Terry (Chelsea) and Wayne Rooney (Manchester United). Looking at chances of the English contenders, none of them have high chances of clinching the title as the English national team has a difficult Euro 2008 qualifying campaign so far and they did not any outstanding club exploits last season. The other reasons are although Manchester United and Chelsea went head to head in the Premiership race, they failed to impress at the UEFA Champions league level. As for Gerrard, if Liverpool did won the last season UEFA Champions league final against AC Milan, then his chances would be different. However they did not and Liverpool had another of its forgettable seasons in the league again.

As for the French, they have Thierry Henry (Barcelona), Franck Ribery (Bayern Munich), Lillan Thuram (Barcelona) and Patrick Vieira (Inter Milan) short listed. At the moment, the chances of the French are as slim as the English for similar reasons. Henry has been a world class player, but he could not inspire Arsenal to the Premiership title and for this season, he is still adapting to his new club, Barcelona. Ribery also did not have the best of seasons last year and has changed clubs in the summer, leaving for Bungesliga Giants, Munich from the sleeping giants of French Football, Marseille. In Vieria's case, Inter Milan did retain their Serie A title last season, but as mentioned above, the title seen to be given to Inter midst point deduction for several Serie A clubs and demotion of Juventus. Hence he would not have a high chance in this year's competition for the best player's title. For Thuram, it is even more gloomer as he did not feature in a lot of his club's games last season and Barcelona failed to defend its La Liga title.

Brazil has three players short listed in Kaka (AC Milan), Juninho (Lyon) and Ronaldinho (Barcelona). Although the Brazilians have a forgettable world cup 2006, however one of three can be considered as a highly possible contender for the title. He is Kaka. The reason is that he has also won the FIFPro 2007 Player of the year award and it was he that inspired AC Milan to winning the UEFA Champions League midst a disappointing Serie A 2006-2007 campaign. As for Ronaldinho, a previous two time winner (2004 and 2005), his chances this year are quite slim as he was not in the best form last season with the Catalans Giants as they lost out to Real Madrid in the La Liga title. In the case of Juninho, other than inspiring Lyon to six consecutive French Ligue 1 titles, he had no major efforts of note last season.

As for Brazil's South American rival, Argentina too has three players short listed in Lionel Messi (Barcelona), Juan Roman Riquelme (River) and Carlos Tevez (Manchester United). Of the three, Messi's chances are the highest as he has continued where he left off last season with eight goals in as many games this season. Tevez had a difficult season in which his transfer reeks of a drama serial while Riquelme with his talent to a lot of people has choked on the big stages once too often.

Another highly possible contender for the title is Portuguese Cristiano Ronaldo of Manchester United. With his 23 goals, English Premiership Player of the year award and PFA player's player of the year award last season, he can be seen as a major reason why Manchester United managed to regain the English Premiership title. Furthermore, in midst of enduring an anti-Ronaldo season after his antics at World Cup 2006, it is a wonder that he could conjure up such a wonderful season. Another Portuguese short listed is Deco of Barcelona who for all his talents was a bit player for Catalans last season and hence his chances are not very high then.

The remaining players of the short list are Fernando Torres (Spain, Liverpool), Ruud Van Nistelrroy (Holland, Real Madrid), Petr Cech (Czech Republic, Chelsea), Didier Drogba (Ivory Coast, Chelsea), Michael Essien (Ghana, Chelsea), Samuel Eto'o (Cameroon, Barcelona) and Rafael Marquez (Mexico, Barcelona). Of seven remaining players, Ruud Van Nistelrroy may have the best chance as he was the top scorer for Real Madrid in their title winning squad last season and has continued his fine form this season. As for players of Chelsea and Barcelona, their failure in defending the title and poor UEFA Champions League showing would count against them. Lastly, Torres, the sole Spanish in the list, like Henry has traded clubs where he left his boyhood club, Atletico Madrid for English side Liverpool in the summer. His chances are very slim as during his time as Atletico Madrid, the team failed to establish it as La Liga contenders and as for his new club, he is still adapting there.

Lastly to summarize my views on FIFA 2007 Player of the year, my choice of player to win is the Kaka of AC Milan with Lionel Messi (Barcelona) and Cristiano Ronaldo (Manchester United) to give him a run for the title. The results would be out this December 2007 at the FIFA World Player Gala in Zurich.

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2010 FIFA World Cup Match Reviews - Ghana Versus Serbia, Group D

The opening clash of Group D pitted the Black Stars of Ghana against Serbia (formerly Yugoslavia). It was a battle defined by attrition. Serbia played solidly while offering a few glimpses of attacking intent. The tone of the match was such that it needed a moment of brilliance or fortune to produce a result. Fortune came the way of the Black Stars after a penalty gave them a deserved 1-0 win that put them in a good position in Group D - one of the toughest groups at the 2010 World Cup.

The match began with shots at goal at either end in the opening minutes. There were a few promising attacks in the first 20 minutes, but these did not produce shots on target. Serbia was guilty of unfair aggression and picked up two yellow cards in the first 25 minutes. The Eastern Europeans tried to take advantage of two set plays in the 26th minute but failed to capitalize on the opportunity. Serbia had the better of the exchanges in the first half, which ended goalless. There was not enough creative play from the Ghanaian side and Serbia's final ball let them down.

The second half began promisingly, with slim chances falling to both teams in the opening minutes of the half. However, the play in the attacking third still left much to be desired. The match seemed destined for a goalless draw until referee Hector Baldassi made his first intervention in the 73rd minute. The Argentine referee booked Aleksandar Lukovic for holding back Gyan near to the halfway line. That was Lukovic's second bookable offence, so Baldassi sent him off and showed him the red card. While that call appeared to be a harsh one, Serbia had to play for 17-odd minutes with ten men.

In the 79th minute, Serbia had a good chance to go ahead, but Nemanja Vidic headed the ball over the crossbar from close range. The turning point in the match came when Serbian substitute Zdravko Kuzmanovic handled the ball outrageously in his own penalty area from a high Ghanaian cross. Despite his protestations, he was booked for unsporting behaviour and Bladassi penalized the Serbians by awarding a penalty.

Gyan sent the resulting penalty to the right of Vladimir Stojkovic in goal, giving the Ghanaians a 1-0 lead in the 83rd minute. Serbia had a couple more chances before the end of regulation time but failed to execute. Ghana surged into the lead on Group A, while Serbia faced a tough task ahead to reach the knockout round.

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