Building on the 2010 success

South African officials are discussing bidding to host the 2020 Olympics, capitalising on the investment in the country's sports infrastructure for next year’s World Cup.

The Iol.co.za website reports that sports and Recreation Minister Makhenkesi Stofile said after a meeting about World Cup preparations that progress on that project meant the country had more confidence in resubmitting a bid to host the Olympics.

Cape Town lost out to Athens in the final round of the host bidding process for the 2004 Summer Games.

Durban has expressed interest in hosting the event, by saying that the Moses Mabhida stadium being built there for the World Cup could be expanded to 85,000 spectators for 2020, if required.

However the Recreation Minister’s spokeswoman Lerato Mogorosi said the issue had not yet been put before the cabinet.

“The bid only opens at the 2012 Olympics in London,” she said.

“It is not confirmed but it is being seriously discussed by the South African Sport Confederation and Olympic Committee.”

Egypt's robbery caused by womanising and drinking?

Egypt's team at the Confederations' Cup was robbed after they beat Italy.

And the media - especially the western variety have had a field day with proclaiming the veracity in South Africa's high crime rate.

Now after the robbery these were some statements and reactions. First, Thembi Nkhwashu, a spokesperson for the Gauteng South African Police Services:

“Five players have reported a case of theft, with the total sums lost amounting to US$2,400. The period when the money could have disappeared is from the time they left the hotel for the match [against Italy] until this morning when we were notified.

"All the players had a safe in their rooms and were given information on how to operate those services, but for one reason or other they did not follow the instructions.”

However, the Sunday World quoted a police officer as saying this bizarre thing:

“We have confirmed that some of the [Egyptian] players brought prostitutes [after beating Italy], whom they picked up on Oxford Road [in Rosebank], to their hotel rooms and we have strong suspicions that they were cleaned out by those ladies of the night.”

Well, if it is true...

However according to IOL another police spokesman claimed "they could have come up with the robbery claims to avoid being caught out or embarrassed by their spouses and girlfriends back home in Egypt.

"No money was taken from the safe, but we have heard that they had been drinking and womanising, and the same women later robbed them.

"We have reason to believe that they brought the women on to the premises and were celebrating with them before they were robbed of their money.”

Talk of pretenders.
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Confed Cup: the up side for the African theme

Two days of Confederations Cup action have gone and Africa's reps have all lost.

Egypt played heroically but lost to Brazil while South Africa made a mess of great chances and drew 0-0 with Iraq.

Despite these setbacks for the African challenge, the fans at the tournament have been loud with their vuvuzelas and other noise-making devices.



It can only be in South Africa! Great atmosphere. If this is a harbinger of things to come then the World Cup next year would be one hell of a noise-maker!

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Mind your language: Joel Santana episode

The South African gaffer was not able to deliver a victory against Iraq in the first match of the Confed Cup and after the game he was unable to deliver his excuses well either...



It appears Engrish is his plobrem as he coaches Saudi Africa so why doesn't he follow Ghana's lead by employing a $4500-a-month interpreter?

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Fifa Confed Cup 2009 Watch: Nilmar

In two weeks, the world would watch with a mixture of curiousity, passion and interest as the dress rehearsal to next year's football World Cup begins.

The Confederations Cup kicks off and in anticipation, OTP got a list players you should be looking out for. First is this man.

Nilmar



The 24-year-old Internacional striker has had the early part of his career ravaged by long-term injuries, but the man who scored the winner against Barcelona in the 2007 Club World Cup has impressed this season with 11 goals in 22 games. And with goals like the one above, he is surely one to keep an eye on if he gets a chance to play in Brazil’s star-studded squad.

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Quinton Fortune and Eric Djemba-Djemba make an infamous list.

Soccerlens, that most astute of football sites, has the list of what it considers as Sir Alex Ferguson's Worst Manchester United XI.

And it includes two Africans: Quinton Fortune (South Africa) in left back and Eric Djemba-Djemba (Cameroun) in central midfield.


Djemba-Djemba


Among other damning descriptions, the site says Djemba-Djemba was the first of many pretenders (as Roy Keane's successor) as Sir Alex bought him from Nantes for £3.5 million in 2003. As ever, there was an accompanying video evidence.



Fortune
The writer was a bit merciful with the former Bafana man saying that 'for the record, I actually liked Quinton Fortune. Unlike some of his contemporaries, especially Kieran Richardson, Fortune had a good attitude and worked hard. He just wasn’t very good.'

No video evidence. So, I ask you, what do you think?

PS: Others who made the list were Massimo Taibi, David May, Laurent Blanc (Iask you!), William Prunier, Jordi Cruyff, Juan Sebastian Veron, Ralph Milne, Diego Forlan and David Bellion.

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The Boss makes Africa's day!

Spain coach Vicente del Bosque has followed in the footsteps of Brazil boss Dunga and Italy mentor Marcello Lippi by naming a strong squad for the Confederations Cup.

They are ensuring that this year's Fifa Confed Cup will be the bomb.

The Euro 2008 champions are at full-strength for the showpiece, bar Villarreal midfielder Marcos Senna, who is nursing a hamstring injury.

David Villa, Andres Iniesta and Gerard Pique have all been included in the 23-man set-up despite reportedly struggling with niggles.

La Roja are in the same group as hosts South Africa along with minnows Iraq and New Zealand. Del Bosque's men are favourites to win the eight-team tournament, despite the presence of world champions Italy and giants Brazil.

The squad in full:

Goalkeepers: Iker Casillas (Real Madrid), Pepe Reina (Liverpool), Diego Lopez (Villarreal).

Defenders: Raul Albiol (Valencia), Alvaro Arbeloa (Liverpool), Joan Capdevila (Villarreal), Carlos Marchena (Valencia), Gerard Pique (Barcelona), Carles Puyol (Barcelona) Sergio Ramos (Real Madrid).

Midfielders: Xabi Alonso (Liverpool), Sergio Busquets (Barcelona), Santi Cazorla (Villarreal), Cesc Fabregas (Arsenal), Xavi (Barcelona), Andres Iniesta (Barcelona), David Silva (Valencia), Juan Mata (Valencia), Albert Riera (Liverpool).

Forwards: David Villa (Valencia), Daniel Guiza (Fenerbahce), Fernando Torres (Liverpool), Fernando Llorente (Athletic Bilbao).

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