Team quarters in 2010 only in SA?

Neo-RP · 10th September 2008, 05:34 PM

As you probably know, the German soccer team was considering moving to Namibia if they qualify for 2010.

I have now read an article in the German media that this option has been scrapped, since FIFA has stipulated that all team quarters during the world championship must be within South African borders.

That would be so diappointing, the German team in Namibia would have been such a boost, just the media coverage would have doubled tourist numbers!

Is this story true, does anybody have more details? I am currently in Germany, so perhaps I have missed something.

Comrade_007 · 16th September 2008, 02:38 PM

That would have been great, and made the World Cup a truly regional affair. I did hear from someone based in Cape Town who is involved with the WC that there were concerns about transportation/logistics due to the distances involved, as well as security. There would have also have to be separate contracts and delivery authorties, and, and, and - too complicated. Not sure whether they are thinking about having their training camp in Namibia, but it would give them a definite advantage training at altitude.

Dude · 20th September 2008, 05:38 PM

Just imagine all the German Dudes - they would go totally bananas. Deutschland uber alles? Swakop would really be like a little german town then. Not that I would mind at all. For publicity and all it would have been great!

Neo-RP · 21st September 2008, 05:18 PM

What really pisses me off is how the South Africans are grabbing everything for themselves, arrogant bunch, black and white.

I mean, they also got the World Cup 2010 because they survived Apartheid and got over it peacefully, so the world opinion thought it would be fair if they got to host such a big event as a reward or compensation (not to mention Blatter's little intrigues). But the rest of Southern Africa was also affected, particularly Namibia, after all, we were occupied by South Africa for decades.

Just imagine how spectacular the Word Cup would have been if the South Africans had made it more of a regional affair. For instance, the group matches and the round of 16 in SA, then the quarter finals in Maputo, Harare, Gaborone and Windhoek, then the semi finals in Durban and Cape Town and the finals in Joburg. Wow, that would have been so fantastic.

Instead, cities like Rustenburg and Nelspruit and Polokwane get their chance to grab global fame. That really wants to make me puke, f... Nelspruit, Nelspruit really gets to host Soccer Word Cup games! Unbelievable.

And now it seems as if not even team quarters will be allowed outside South Africa, how disappointing.

Comrade_007 · 21st September 2008, 09:11 PM

Totally agree, Neo-RP - well put, and your anger is justified. It also underlines just how far we still have to go as far as regional "integration" goes. Just imagine for a moment: The SADC got involved at an early stage in the organisation of the event and ensured that whatever reservations/concerns/problems the organisers had at that stage about a regional approach to hosting the competition were proactively addresses and firm commitments made to ensure the viability of a regional event. Just imagine that. I recall there were some noises made, but that;s where it was left. To be fair, the Zimbabwe situation and all the other problems in other regional countries did little to encourage an argument along the lines of a regional approach. But I firmly believe that it was never really seriously entertained, and that is a shame. Instead of this being an event for Africa, it is a South African affair and little else. Can you see the thousands of people going down South to watch games, with transport and fuel costs being what they are? I think not, and so we'll be left watching it all on TV, depsiute the fact that its all happening a couple of hundred kilometres away. THat hurts, and FIFA made a mistake here. A missed opportunity.

Galaxy · 22nd September 2008, 11:51 PM

Not sure I agree. The regional approach, while good for the region, would have been a logistical and organisational nightmare.

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