Bankruptcy may force Zimbabwe out of World Cup qualifying

The penniless football association can no longer pay for international commitments, putting tournament participation in jeopardy for a host of South Africa-based stars

Jan 1, 2013 8:30:00 AM By Andre Bell

Zimbabwe might have to forego their 2014 World Cup qualifying campaign because their football association is bankrupt and cannot pay the expenses for the March trip to Egypt.

The warning comes from Zimbabwe Football Association (Zifa) vice president Ndumiso Gumede on the back of instructions from Fifa to clear their debts, which now total €3 million.

"Fifa has said to us don’t get yourselves involved in games unless you have a full government guarantee or sponsorship that covers accommodation, match expenses and all incidentals," he told reporters.

"Unless [the] government chips in and funds the match against Egypt, we are better off paying a huge fine of about $50 000 (€38,000) to Fifa than accruing another huge debt to fulfill the game."

Gumede said Fifa’s tough stance had also forced them to review their international obligations with Zifa now set to withdraw from all games and competitions for which it does not have substantial financial backing.

Zimbabwe are set to travel to Cairo on the weekend of March 22-24 to resume their World Cup qualifying campaign before hosting the Pharaohs in Harare on June 7.

The nation already had to withdraw their Under 20 and Under 17 teams from the continental championships due to a lack of finances.

"So come January 1, we are not going to take part in any games unless there are tangible financial commitments to cover for everything, including incidentals," Gumede added.

"It has been Fifa’s observation that the more we commit ourselves to fulfilling a lot of matches, the deeper we are sinking in terms of our debt and when you look at it closely you can see that it is true."

http://www.goal.com/en/news/89/africa/2013/01/01/3639090/-

FIFA warns Brazil against World Cup stadium delays

FIFA warns Brazil against World Cup stadium delaysFIFA on Monday marked the 500-day countdown to the 2014 World Cup by warning Brazil that it cannot afford any further delays in venue preparation.

The South American country has been hit with problems in developing stadia, hotels and airports as it prepares to host sport’s top-two events in the World Cup and the 2016 Olympic Games. Brazil will host the Confederations Cup in June and FIFA has twice agreed to push back the handover deadline for four of the six stadiums to be used for the tournament. A new delivery deadline has been set for April 15 and FIFA general secretary Jerome Valcke said this will not be further extended. “We cannot go beyond this date,” he said, according to Reuters. “There cannot be any further delays. All the stadiums must be ready by then.”

The centrepiece of the World Cup, Rio de Janeiro’s Maracana stadium, is said to be causing the most concern. The iconic stadium is undergoing a US$450 million redevelopment, but is only 80% complete and will not meet its February deadline. The venue will stage the final of both the Confederations Cup and World Cup and is now unlikely to be ready until the end of May. Recife’s stadium is the other venue causing concern and contractor Odebrecht has said it is only 83.6% complete.

Sunday witnessed a small landmark for Brazil’s preparations as the Castelão Stadium in Fortaleza, the first of the World Cup stadiums to be completed, held its first matches – a doubleheader in the northeastern Copa do Nordeste. “From the commitment we received from local authorities and the Brazilian Government through the Sports Ministry, we are confident that all stadiums will be delivered on time,” added Valcke. “However, we must work on the surroundings of the stadiums and public transportation, which is something we have all been discussing with the host cities.” In other news, FIFA signed an agreement with Brazil’s communications ministry on Monday committing Brazil to add cell phone antennas and other communication systems around the 12 World Cup stadiums. “There will be a 4G level of communication all around the country,” said Valcke.


http://www.soccerex.com/industry-news/fifa-warns-brazil-against-world-cup-stadium-delays/

More Brazil stadium safety concerns

1 February 2013-AFP

Brazil's safety reputation ahead of the 2014 FIFA World Cup and 2016 Olympic Games suffered a new setback when police threatened to shut down a stadium after fans were hurt in a stampede.

Seven people suffered minor injuries after fans poured forward to celebrate a goal in a Copa Libertadores match between Gremio and Liga de Quito of Ecuador at the Arena Gremio in Porto Alegre.

The fencing between the stands and the pitch gave way and the tie was held up for six minutes.

Although the brand-new stadium will not be used for either the World Cup or this year's Confederations Cup, the incident has raised more concerns over Brazil's safety standards, just days after 235 people died in a nightclub fire in Santa Maria.

"We could close the ground on a temporary basis," said police commander Kleber Rodrigues Goulart.

The crush happened in a section of the stadium where there are no seats, a factor that allows crowds to cascade down the terracing and towards the fencing.

"We do not want a tragedy," added Goulart. "We have always believed that this area should have seating. We don't want to see a tragedy occur which would corroborate our opinion."

Although overlooked for the World Cup, the Arena Gremio will host a friendly international between Brazil and France in June.

The Brazilian Football Confederation (CBF) said it was following the situation "with tranquility but without wanting to create a panic".

"More than ever, we are going to take all measures to guarantee the security of spectators," said CBF president Jose Maria Marin.

The club said the incident was being investigated.

"It is an engineering problem which preoccupies us. We must discover what caused the problem. We have to have a ground that is 100 per cent safe and we will carry out a technical study," said Eduardo Antonini, of the Gremio Empreendimentos, which has organised the construction of the stadium.

Meanwhile, a 22-year-old fan was stabbed outside the stadium just after kick-off, GloboEsporte website reported.

The victim is not in serious danger but he remains in hospital.

http://theworldgame.sbs.com.au/news/1139169/

Sex motels used for World Cup in Brazil

From:
AAP February 23, 2013
5:23PM

A SHORTAGE of hotel rooms has led Rio authorities to invest millions of dollars to convert raunchy motels to accommodate the legions of tourists expected for the 2014 World Cup and the 2016 summer Olympics.
Shalimar, located in the upscale beach district of Leblon, is one of 60 such 'sex' motels undergoing a facelift.
Already 30 of its 62 rooms have been remodelled and given a minimalist look.
Gone are the red carpets, the mirrors, the heart-shaped water bed and the chains on the walls.
Outside one debris-filled room, a large Venus sculpture, dirty and broken, lies forlornly, destined for the garbage dump.
According to Rio Negocios, the city's investment promotion board, more than $US100 million ($A98 million) has been earmarked to convert 3,500 of Rio's 6,500 motel rooms, with local authorities providing tax incentives.
"We have a (hotel room) supply problem but we are working on it," Rio Mayor Eduardo Paes told AFP.
....."We will have 16,000 additional beds. We will also use motels. This is something new. That could be an adventure for a couple, an opportunity for new experiences," he added with a giggle.
This world-famous city of six million people today has 32,436 rooms: 20,414 in hotels and 12,022 spread out in motels, apartment hotels, inns and hostels.
The goal is to bring the total up 47 per cent to 47,788 by 2015.
"Motels will be an option for those who come to Rio, along with budget hotels in upscale areas of the city," said Alfredo Lopes, president of the Brazilian Association of Hotel industry (ABIH-RJ).
Traditionally, local sex motels are full during the high season - Carnival or the New Year - or during high-profile events such as the 1992 Earth Summit and the visit by the late Pope John Paul II in 1997.
"Foreign dignitaries would troop to their motels after their activities and ran into regular clients. It was a strange atmosphere," recalled Sports Minister Aldo Rebelo.
And he welcomed as a "good idea" moves to convert the motels into "real hotels".
The conversion process began two years ago but accelerated last June with the holding of the UN Rio+20 environment summit.
There is also a growing demand for affordable, quality accommodation for staff of the many oil companies that have recently set up operations in the Rio area.

http://www.heraldsun.com.au/sport/football/sex-motels-used-for-world-cup-in-brazil/story-e6frfg8x-1226584143981

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Why Colombia could win the 2014 World Cup

Falcao, Guarin and co. could provide spark for Colombian success in Brazil

As football fans it’s in our nature to put together a number of factors which lead us to believe in the likelihood of a potential champion. I won’t go as far to state that I think Colombia will win the World Cup in 2014, but I think they have as good a chance as any team other than Spain.

Let’s look at the evidence.

First and foremost, it would be absurd to ignore El Tigre. Radamel Falcao is the man who Colombian hopes will ultimately rest on. Although Mario Yepes wears the captain's armband, Falcao is the man whose form will dictate how Colombia fare in the tournament.

Alongside the highly-coveted Atletico Madrid forward, Colombia have Jackson Martinez, scorer of 27 goals in 31 games for Porto this season, Teófilo Gutiérrez of Cruz Azul, who has a respectable 8 goals in 19 caps, or Dorlan Pabón, who has been a significant threat as part of the Real Betis attack since his January loan move from Parma. Firepower won’t be something you’ll find Colombia lacking in.

The 3-5-2 formation employed by coach Jose Pekerman against Guatemala in a recent friendly could be the best formation for Colombia. It allows them to stretch the play and make the best use of the pace and directness they have at their disposal in the form of James Rodgriuez, Juan Zúñiga, Juan Cuadrado and Pablo Armero.

Options for Colombia in the centre of the park are deceptively strong too. Fredy Guarin has begun to play an increasingly-important role for Inter Milan, providing dynamism, a decent range of passing and a shot that will have even the best keepers concerned. 20-year-old Juan Quintero, another of the Colombian Serie A contingent, looks a fine player, and was awarded best player at the South American Youth Championship earlier this year, a competition won by Colombia. With another year of Serie A experience he could well be primed to make his mark on the world's stage in Brazil.

Behind the two Italian-based midfielders, Colombia can entrust Abel Aguilar with retaining the ball and putting himself about when required.

At the back is where Colombia will find themselves asked the most questions. The aforementioned captain, 37-year-old Yepes seems likely to lead the nation out in Brazil, which could result in a severe susceptibility to pace. Currently on loan at Milan, Cristian Zapata has looked significantly better this season than the last at Villareal, which bodes well.

With Aquivaldo Mosquera or Luis Perea currently filling the third defensive spot, Colombia could look to one of their recently-victorious under-20s defenders as a viable alternative to sit in front of the reliable David Ospina in goal.

With Jose Pekerman in charge, Colombia have a manager with previous experience at a World Cup, having taken Argentina to the quarter-finals in 2006. Sitting four points off of the top of the qualification table with a game in hand, Colombia are well-placed to banish the ghost of USA '94.

http://www.givemefootball.com/333715-why-colombia-could-win-the-2014-world-cup

Transport headache for 2014 World Cup

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05 March 2013, 15:17

The public transport projects designed to modernise Brazilian cities for the 2014 soccer World Cup are being scaled back, delayed or cancelled as legal challenges, corruption and a lack of planning threaten to rob locals of the tournament's most lasting legacy.

The 12 host cities, keen to use the event to overhaul aging urban infrastructure, laid out ambitious plans to build new metro lines, monorails and dedicated bus lanes but, with 15 months to go before the games kick off, it seems unlikely that all the projects will come to fruition.

"The much-discussed social legacy looks like it won't get off the drawing board," Romario, a former World Cup winner who is now a lawmaker in Brazil's Congress, wrote last month in a newspaper column. "Almost all the transport projects are behind schedule, some have been put back and will be opened only after the World Cup and others have been cancelled altogether."

Although exact numbers are still changing, at least a dozen of the 49 original projects have changed completely.

Five cities - Brasilia, Fortaleza, Manaus, Salvador and Sao Paulo - would not have the promised tram lines, express lanes for buses or metro links ready for the opening match on June 12, said Valmir Campelo, an official with the Federal Audits Court who monitors World Cup planning.

Time was "extremely tight" on others, Campelo added. So many of the projects would not be ready that authorities in several cities were discussing closing schools and declaring public holidays on match days to avoid traffic jams.

"This definitely won't leave the legacy it could or should have," Campelo told Reuters.

World Cup organisers play down the setbacks and say the host cities are still being transformed. Ronaldo, the former Barcelona and Real Madrid striker who is a leading member of the local organising committee, said work was currently being done that might otherwise have taken years.

Sports Minister Aldo Rebelo argues that other big sporting events, such as the 2012 and 2008 Olympics, had similar teething problems.

"Problems with transportation occurred in London, as well as in Beijing, but Brazil is seeking to undertake efforts so that all the host cities are the most comfortable possible in terms of transit and traffic and, more important, much more comfortable than today," Rebelo said in a January conference call with reporters.

UNCERTAIN OUTLOOK

Nevertheless, it seems clear that the situation is not as rosy as it was supposed to be. While Brazil is now the world's seventh-biggest economy, it is still a developing nation that badly needs to add and modernise roads, airports, public transport links and other vital infrastructure.

Sao Paulo, South America's largest city and Brazil's business capital, which will host the World Cup's prestigious opening match, has no rail links to either of its two airports, leaving travellers to face notorious gridlock.

Authorities have long fallen short on promises to build a rail link to the international airport on the city's outskirts and now acknowledge that the proposed monorail that would link the domestic airport to the metro will not be ready in time.

The situation is similar in the capital Brasilia, where work started on 18 km of tram lanes from the airport to the city but was halted in 2011 when a judge ruled the construction companies were involved in overpricing and other irregularities.

In the jungle city of Manaus, authorities cancelled two major projects to build 20 km of monorail and 21.5 km of bus lanes. In Fortaleza, where six World Cup matches will take place, work has not begun on seven km of planned highways, tunnels and overpasses.

In Salvador, a city of three million people with no working metro, none of the roads or rail or metro links under construction will be ready for the tournament.

COMMON FACTORS

Experts point to common factors behind the delays. Either judicial investigators halted construction because of financial irregularities or initial feasibility studies and subsequent planning were so poor that funding was not approved.

Relocating families in the way of roads and rail lines has been a constant source of conflict and court cases, and Brazil's strict environmental laws have also prompted legal injunctions.

Another factor is that things just seem to take a long time in Brazil, a country known for maddening bureaucracy and a laid-back approach to life.

"We won the right to host the World Cup in October 2007 but we didn't decide what needed to be done until January 2010," said Jose Roberto Bernasconi, who heads a trade association of local engineering and construction firms. "In 2008 and 2009 we did little or nothing. You can call it lack of money, or will, or competence but there was definitely a lack of something."

Still, not everyone is discouraged. The public response to the delays and cancellations has been muted, perhaps because few governments have admitted they will not be doing all they promised.

Bernasconi said Brazil's lack of decent public transport was so obvious that authorities could not avoid taking action, even if it was slow. So work would get done, he predicted, just not all of it in time for the World Cup.

Even critics acknowledge the setbacks have contributed to widening the debate.

"Before Brazil was confirmed as host of the World Cup, no one or hardly anyone spoke about urban transport projects," said Campelo of the federal Audits Court. "Now the term is widely used. People know what it means and talk about it. In that sense, Brazil has taken advantage of the opportunity."

http://www.supersport.com/football/world-cup-2014/news/130305/Transport_headache_for_2014_World_Cup

Can England win the 2014 World Cup?

Do England have the strength in depth to triumph in Brazil next year?

Can England end 48 years of hurt by lifting the World Cup in Brazil next summer?

That will all depend on the squad. Are they strong enough to handle the pressure?

Goalkeepers

England have been unable to gain solidarity between the sticks since the days of Paul Robinson, but luckily now the English youth systems have produced a cracker in the shape of Joe Hart.

The 25-year-old has been one of the best in the world in recent years and has found success at his club Manchester City. He shows pure talent but can from time to time get a bit over-confident and start to make mistakes - if he plugs that hole he will become unbeatable.

Hart also comes complete with back-up in the form of Norwich 'keeper John Ruddy and soon-to-be Stoke shot-stopper Jack Butland, West Brom's Ben Foster and maybe slightly more optimistically Robert Green of QPR, too.

All of whom have been selected at international level, while Robert Green was the original No.1 in South Africa until fumbling Clint Dempsey's tame 25-yard shot to start England off with a draw against the USA.

Defenders

England have little problem in defence. Plenty of young choice thrown in along with calm experienced heads.

Centre-backs include Chelsea's Gary Cahill, Manchester City's Joleon Lescott, Everton's Phil Jagielka and Manchester United's Chris Smalling, as well as others. Lescott and Gary Cahill are experienced cool heads and are still relatively young. The full-backs provide a flurry of youth and speed and excellence with Leighton Baines, Glen Johnson, Kyle Walker, Micah Richards, Kieran Gibbs and old head Ashely cole, who I expect to be replaced by Everton's Baines in the very near future.

Players like Johnson are real gems; he's able to play on both sides as well as get forward. Baines provides similar attacking threat.

Midfielders

The English midfield is regenerating and by next year will have lost it's experience so talent alone will have to pull the young lads through, but lack of talent isn't a problem that the England midfield will have anytime soon.

Arsenal could provide the whole midfield if needed with Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, Jack Wilshere and Theo Walcott all being sent by the Gunners. But other options include Manchester United duo Tom Cleverley and Ashley Young, a possible recall of Liverpool's Stewart Downing, James Milner and Spurs winger Aaron Lennon.

All players have high attacking capabilities and are always 100% committed.

Forwards

When talking about the England forward-line, it's easy to be drawn into talking about Wayne Rooney. The nation can be critical of Rooney for not meeting standards he consistently sets at Manchester United and sometimes he can be guilty of that, but he's a man for the occasion. Fellow United team-mate Danny Welbeck will provide support along with Daniel Sturridge, big Andy Carroll and even Manchester United's new boy Wilfred Zaha may be up to the occasion come May 2014.

One thing that the England team brings is players that all play in the same league and that can either make or break the team, and the fact that players cannot just walk in from abroad and settle in shows the ability these players play to week-by-week should be no different in a one-off summer tournament.

http://www.givemefootball.com/335000-can-england-win-the-2014-world-cup

Nigeria´s win onthe road puts them top of group F

Must be proud of that win after draws against footballing heavyweights like Malawi and Kenya.

Sometimes you are just like that annoying mosquito that keeps buzzing in your ear and just wount go away

The same could be said about you.

And you...

Brasillia dont even have a team in the Brazillian national league, dont know what they're going to do with the stadium after the WC