South Africa July 2010

2010 World Cup summary.

To paraphrase Boris Becker nobody got killed - it was a football tournament.

The Melville area of Johannesburg was back to ‘normal’ on the Monday after the World Cup final with power cuts and extra roadworks.

But my feeling was that the country had moved forward - at least slightly.

The overall transport infrastructure had been improved and on one level South Africa did show it could host such a showpiece event without serious mishap.

Whatever happens they have an impressive range of quality stadiums.

Looked at in more detail the transport for the matches was generally below the standard normally expected at a World Cup (or any such event), with various stories of park & ride and similar nightmares.

But, as they say, this was Africa.

Its hard to say to what extent the feelgood factor especially related to racial harmony will continue into the future. However it was a step along the way of a marathon road.

For sure without a considerable lessening of unemployment and a vastly improved education system the country will still suffer from the same issues.

The stadiums were well filled with the white Rugby fans enthusiastically joining in - by choosing a team to follow after the exit of Bafana Bafana , painting their faces, adopting fancy dress and incessantly blowing their vuvuzelas.

So it was very much a noisy, carnival atmosphere.

Many arrived late, often because of transport problems and others left early, to avoid transport issues.

All of which, at times, made it hard to concentrate on the football.

So compared to past tournaments I would always be nostalgic for an event like Italia ‘90 without mobile phones, digital cameras or face painting.

Give me Nessun Dorma and the ball juggling at half time any day and ‘real’ football fans attending the matches, without all those transport (and other) restrictions.

But I realise that was a different world.

Now the stadium experience is bound by rules meaning you can drink only one beer, a few fizzy drinks, some strange sandwich options, crisps, chocolate bars and hot dogs for the more daring.
It was only towards the end of my visits did I see a stall selling more upmarket coffee options.

Outside the street sellers tried to make the most of their opportunities as the exterior restrictions were eased.

Ignoring their cramped facilities I enjoyed the atmosphere at the established stadiums of Loftus in Pretoria and Ellis Park in Johannesburg more than most. And once you had worked out where to park both could offer nearby restaurant options for refreshment prior to the games.

Viewed from afar Cape Town and Durban were probably the most eyecatching stadia although Soccer City with its size and expanse of orange seats looked very impressive when inside.

As for the football we started with concerns regarding the ball, various goalkeeping errors and a strong showing by the South American teams.

Then the holders, Italy and runners-up France exited the competition and a poor (and poorly managed) England side were to follow soon after.

It was eventually left to the top Europeans to dominate the closing stages with an impressive German side showing what can be achieved with young talent.

Holland overcame Brazil and ran champions Spain close, albeit with dubious tactics in the final.

Amongst the 26 World Cup matches I attended in, I guess, an average tournament, I’d seen some dramatic games (e.g Ghana v Uruguay, Slovakia v Italy), some boring ones (e.g Japan v Paraguay, England v Algeria) and a well deserved winner in Spain.

I always opted to forgo public transport (with one exception) and park and walk at every opportunity. A tactic that worked well enough although it meant I spent many hours at the stadiums prior to the kickoff.

My only seriously stressful day was during my flight from Cape Town to Durban for the second semi-final. But finally even that worked out OK.

Somewhat remarkably in five weeks I never saw any rain.

And, uniquely in recent times, tickets were often readily available at well below cost price.

So if you could adjust South Africa did deliver without too much trauma and in the end I was sad to leave.

more pics at http://www.photobox.co.uk/album/404599215

Spain 1 Holland 0 in Soccer City.

World Wide Webb.

Spain deservedly won their first World Cup in a game characterised by the large number of yellow cards (and a red card)

It wasn't easy for Howard Webb to control this one and I thought he did as good a job as was possible in the circumstances.

The Dutch obviously adopted the aggressive tactics to try to disrupt the rhythm of the Spanish passing and it worked in a poor first half of nervy play and misplaced deliveries.

The second period improved and we had the drama of Robben missing a couple of good chances and Inesta’s late winner from a Fabregas pass.

Both goalkeepers played well in contrast to the many errors typical of earlier on in the tournament.
And Spain proved again that the best defence, at least in the knockout rounds, often comes out on top.
It was their fourth 1-0 victory in a row.

But the champions had all round strength not only at the back but with their superb midfield and they could even overcome, in this match, a misfiring David Villa.
Also star striker Fernando Torres had been unfit and unable to reproduce his normal level of performance.

Before the football we saw an Opening Ceremony that started well but petered out after Shakira and others had performed their songs.
However a brief appearance by icon Nelson Mandela did stir the crowd.

Soccer City was cool on a windy night near Soweto making the atmosphere feel untypical for the finish to a World Cup.

The experience of my eighth such final was that it certainly wasn’t the best or the most exciting but I did come away with a feeling of satisfaction and justice that the best team had won.

Botswana 1 Chad 0 in Gaborone.

Zebras on top.

This was a Nations Cup qualifier played at the University stadium as the nearby National stadium was being renovated.

Like many of the roads around Gaborone.

I took a familiar route via Rustenburg, then on past Swartruggens and turning at Zeerust towards the border near Gaborone.

It took well over four hours from Johannesburg including some time at the border crossing for passport formalities and buying a car permit for Botswana.

The Zebras had started their Nations Cup campaign in excellent fashion with a very creditable win in Tunisia and they backed this up with a victory over Chad.

It was a hard fought game played in bright, very dry conditions before around 8,000 spectators who, eventually, packed the Botswana University stadium.
The small ground comprises seven, moderately sized, mostly covered stands with open country beyond.

Botswana had the slightly better quality players than the larger Chad team and they got the win early in the second half from a Mongala (of Orlando Pirates) shot that eluded the Chad goalie.
Then both teams had goals disallowed in a match of limited chances with little of the flow of the World Cup games.

Typically the half time entertainment got the crowd dancing and, inevitably, blowing their vuvuzelas.

I chose the Lobatse route back, got snarled up (and lost) in the Friday afternoon Gaborone traffic, through the Pioneer Gate border crossing to South Africa and made Johannesburg by 10.30pm.

A tiring but enjoyable contrast to the World Cup.

pics are included in http://www.photobox.co.uk/album/404599215

Spain 1 Germany 0 in Durban.

Having spent over 6 hours on a plane from Cape Town, via Port Elizabeth, and arrived at about 6.15pm I was glad to see this second semi-final.

Many failed to make it, being diverted to Johannesburg or PE, due to the inability of the Durban controllers to handle the amount of airport traffic.

The many private jets added to the disruption.

But in the end the road traffic from the airport was light and I was at the stadium just after 7pm.

Durban, with its arch, is one of the most impressive of the newly built stadiums.

In mild conditions the 61,000 crowd saw Spain control possession but develop few chances whilst keeping a secure defence against the counter attacking potential of the Germans.

It took a determined Puyol header to decide the outcome, somewhat ironic after all that passing by the Spanish.

So Spain would play the Netherlands in the final and a new country would be World Champions.

Like the other semi this game lacked something in terms of the atmosphere with few Spanish/German foreign fans and numbers of empty seats.

It would have been nice to spend more time in Durban but I had only about 6 hours sleep before being back at the airport for my return flight to Johannesburg (with only a 20 minute delay this time)

Holland 3 Uruguay 2 in Cape Town.

Oranjeboom.

Holland made it through to their first World Cup final since 1978.

For the Netherlands this was a deserved semi-final victory against a spirited Uruguayan team who had definitely exceeded expectations.

Star player Diego Forlan scored another goal, this time left footed, in reply to a superb opener from Giovanni van Bronckhorst.

The Dutch secured the win with goals from Sneijder and Robben although Uruguay did pull one back near the end.

Somehow the stadium (which was not full) lacked a little atmosphere with limited numbers of 'real' fans of the two teams.

But Green Point itself was vibrant especially amongst those in orange, many of which joined the 'fan walk' before the match.
Many would join the 'fan stagger' after the match.

I'd taken a morning flight from Johannesburg, arranged to stay in Durbanville and parked high above the harbour, off 'high level', as before.

Despite the brooding clouds it did stay dry and cool.

Spain 1 Paraguay 0 at Ellis Park Johannesburg.

From Villa to Post(s)

It took a break from Iniesta and a David Villa shot off both posts for Spain to finally overcome Paraguay in this quarter final.

Before that both teams had missed penalties, first Cardozo for Paraguay then a twice taken effort by Xabi Alonso was saved.

Spain had dominated possession but generally failed to penetrate a tight South American defence before Villa struck the winner.

Having arrived at my regular place I was invited to watch the earlier game at the home of the guy whose parking area I used.
So some coffee and some samosas went down well whilst watching Germany 4 Argentina 0.

After that steak and chips with the locals in a Bertrams 'cafe'.

Ellis Park was tolerably cool and dry.

Uruguay 1 Ghana 1 in Soccer City. Uruguay won 4-2 on penalties.

Baghana drama.

The winner of this game knew they would play Holland in the semi-finals after the Dutch had surprisingly beaten favourites Brazil earlier in the day.

It was an excellent, intriguing match with some stunning late drama.

Ghana ('Baghana Baghana') had the vast majority of the 84,000 crowd supporting them as the two sides battled for supremacy.

Sulley Muntari was to open the scoring just before half time but Uruguayan striker Diego Forlan equalised from a free-kick soon after the break.

The two sides continued to be closely matched well into the second period and then into extra time until we had the memorable goalmouth scramble that resulted in Luis Suarez being sent off for handball on the goal line.

Asamoah Gyan blasted the resultant penalty over, much to the Uruguayan's delight.

So we went to a shootout in which Gyan showed great character to score the first penalty for the Ghanaians.

But two misses, including one from captain John Mensah, meant Uruguay's Sebastian Abreu had the opportunity to seal the victory - which he did with a Panenka-style chip.

Thus Ghana would not be the first African team to reach the World Cup semis and the locals would have to choose another team to support (and buy another shirt)

I'd watched from the lower tier, in the 'corporate area', in typically dry, cool weather.

more pics at http://www.photobox.co.uk/album/404599215

South Africa June 2010

Japan 0 Paraguay 0 in Pretoria.
Paraguay won 5-3 on penalties.

Some late excitement.

These two might have opted to go to penalties after the first few minutes.
Such was the cautious approach of both sides who effectively cancelled each other out.

Paraguay did show a little more adventure so perhaps they deserved the penalty shoot-out win.

Oscar Cardozo struck the final penalty, nervelessly, to break Japanese hearts and end the participation of the Asian teams.

As usual Pretoria proved a decent location for parking and enjoying some lunch.

And it was easy enough to buy a ticket, this time for 300 rand.

Back in Jo-burg I chose the fish some wine and watched Spain beat Portugal.

Brazil 3 Chile 0 at Ellis Park, Johannesburg.

World Champions ?

Brazil looked like possible World Cup winners judging by the way they disposed of their fellow South Americans in this round of 16 match.

They scored from a Juan header, from a Luis Fabiano second via a sublime Kaka pass and a third by Robinho in the second period.

Chile never got close.

Brazil would go on to play the Netherlands in the quarter finals.

I followed my Ellis Park routine, parking in Viljeon Street and having some steak & chips in Bertrams, near the stadium.

Inside I watched from the lower tier, near halfway, sitting next to some Uruguyan journalists and a well known Brazilian fan.

England 1 Germany 4 in Bloemfontein.

Schadenfreude.

For the germans but plenty to think about for ourselves.

It was England's worst defeat at a World Cup finals.

Maybe if Lampard's over-the-line shot had been allowed to count there would have been a momentum change but more likely we would still have lost.

The Germans could cut through our defence seemingly at will.

Rooney (again) failed to sparkle in contrast to the young sensation Thomas Mueller who scored twice.

In the end it was embarrassing and somewhat pathetic for England.

And probably the end of the international careers of some of our experienced players ('the golden generation')

Coach Capello also underperformed badly.

Bloemfontein, 4 hours drive from Johannesburg, was one of the easiest stadium locations to drive to, and park.

It also had a couple of malls nearby - one very busy and one much quieter - the latter my choice for some Mugg & Bean refreshment.

On the way back I had plenty of time to try to work out what went wrong and listen to the (poor) radio commentary of Argentina's defeat of Mexico.

USA 1 Ghana 2 in Rustenburg.

Gyan in extra time.

Fourth and last visit to Rustenburg.

I know the route well enough - and where to park.

Nearby is a bar and I join the US fans to watch Uruguay beat South Korea.

Then there was plenty of time to negotiate the purchase of a ticket (200 rand) - it was definitely a buyers market.

The stadium starts about half full then more come in, many with free tickets.

USA had their support but the locals, naturally, preferred their fellow Africans.

The game was always competitive with Ghana taking the lead through Kevin-Prince Boateng and the Americans replying via a Landon Donovan penalty.

Somehow you knew it would go to extra time given that I had to get back to Jo-burg.

Striker Asamoah Gyan sealed the win with a decisive left-footed strike in the extra period.

USA pressed but Ghana held firm and they ensured that an African team would be in the quarter finals.

I was back in Melville, Jo-burg by 1am.

Spain 2 Chile 1 in Pretoria.

Vibrant.

Pre-match meal was some hummus and a coke in the Lebanese restaurant near the stadium.

Before that there was time to watch some of Portugal v Brazil (0-0) and Ivory Coast v North Korea (3-0) on TV.

Loftus was cosy and atmospheric from my lower tier seat, particularly amongst the Chile fans.

Chile went hard at Spain early on in a fast and mainly exciting encounter.

But the Spaniards scored first, following a goalie lapse, through David Villa.

They would add a second from the excellent Iniesta while in the same move the Chileans had a man (rather severely ?) sent off.

The South Americans did get one back after the interval but Spain regained control and thus topped the group.

Italy 2 Slovakia 3 at Ellis Park, Johannesburg.

Famous win.

It had been another early start to get the 6.25am flight back to Johannesburg.

But at least I was in good time for breakfast at my b & b.

We had some local interest as Howard Webb was the referee and he did an Ok job, I thought.

The match was a triumph for Slovakia who put out the World Champions in a thrilling climax.

Italy really only got going towards the end when they were 3-1 down.

Slovakia had led through two goals from Robert Vittek before Di Natale pulled one back.

Sub Kopunek increased the lead again late on for the Slovaks before Quagliarella scored to make it a dramatic and hectic finish.

I'd watched from the back of the lower tier, again adopting a sit anywhere approach.

So Italy went out and the celebrating Slovaks would go on to play the Netherlands in the round of 16.

England 1 Slovenia 0 in Port Elizabeth.

Better.

An early, 4.30am, start to get to OR Tambo for the 6.30am flight to PE.

I abstained from the moderate in-flight food and settled for breakfast in my b & b.

After that there was plenty of time to enjoy the weather and wander around the very pleasant Boardwalk area, packed with our fans.

For the first time I took the (beach) park & ride to the stadium - which worked well enough.

At least England showed more energy in this game although Rooney still seemed out of sorts.

More chances were created with Defoe eventually converting a cross for the decider.

England generally stayed in control and it looked like we would top our group until the USA hit a late winner against Algeria.

Afterwards I was collected from the St Georges park & ride and was back at the b & b to enjoy the excellent evening hospitality whilst watching the later matches (and some of Isner v Mahout at Wimbledon)

Overall my only trip to 'The Friendly City', Port Elizabeth, went very well.

Mexico 0 Uruguay 1 in Rustenburg.

In typically bright, sunny conditions I drove to Rustenburg for the third time and parked in the usual place, near the shabeen.

Pre-game - some water and a sandwich.

This time there was more of a 'proper' football atmosphere especially amongst the many Mexican fans.

Unfortunately their team still looked limited, lacking a cutting edge.

Unlike Uruguay who had Suarez and Forlan to count on. It was Suarez who headed home the winner.

With South Africa beating the sorry French at the same time these results meant both teams progressed to the knockout stages.

In just over two hours I was back in Johannesburg.

Spain 2 Honduras 0 at Ellis Park, Johannesburg.

Comfortable enough.

For the European champions against a limited Honduran team.

In summary David Villa got the goals, Alonso held midfield, Torres was still not 100% and Fabregas came on later in the game.

Spain stayed well in control.

This time I tried a different tactic firstly to get into the Athlone Boys park & walk which failed then finding a local hiring out his secure garage area only 6/7 minutes from the stadium.
This worked nicely.

Along the way I ate some beef stew and chips at a Bertrams 'restaurant' before getting ready with the earplugs and remembering my bottle top (inside the stadium they remove the tops off bottles)

Ellis Park and Loftus have their similarities though the latter is definitely cosier.

Brazil 3 Ivory Coast 1 in Soccer City.

Unstoppable.

A Luis Fabiano rocket shot, a second from the same player and a third by Elano sealed this easy win.

Chelsea's Didier Drogba did reply with a consolation header but another African team was likely to be on its way out of the World Cup.

Uncharacteristically Kaka was sent off for elbowing a defender.

But Brazil, generally in second gear, were in control.

I took my familiar route - an early arrival at Aeroton park & walk - and a quick exit.

Interestingly the numbers of street hawkers had increased dramatically since the opening game.

Denmark 2 Cameroon 1 in Pretoria.

Best game so far.

An early, 5am start, for the 7.30am flight back to Johannesburg.

Where I collected my car and was back in Melville by 10.20am. (after landing at OR Tambo at 9.30am)
Traffic on this Saturday morning was very light.

The advantage of the location of the stadium in Pretoria is that you can park and go to a restaurant to watch an afternoon game (in this case Ghana v Australia)

Then you can stroll to Loftus.

I watched from the lower tier which, although quite shallow, offers the cosy, vibrant atmosphere of a traditional ground.

For once the play flowed with both teams attacking. Cameroon took the lead when the Danes allowed Eto'o too much space in the area.

But the Europeans hit back after a textbook move comprising a diagonal ball, a Rommendahl cross and a Bendtner finish.

Rommendahl would seal the win the second half with a left foot shot.

Depsite their efforts Cameroon became the first side to exit the competition.

England 0 Algeria 0 in Cape Town.

Nice stadium shame about the game.

England made Algeria look good on a bad night for the golden generation.

Rooney continued his moderate World Cup, his team misplaced many passes and we created few chances.

Algeria were content to defend and generally that was not too hard a task.

James replaced the hapless Green in goal but had little to do.

I'd taken an early flight from Jo-burg, hired a car, and arranged an overnight B & B in Durbanville.

As expected parking near the Green Point stadium was problematic though eventually I found somewhere in a street high above the harbour - great views but a steep walk back.

Our fans hoisted their flags, drank for England, and thronged the Waterfront.

The weather stayed dry and not too cold but the result gave much room for thought.

Argentina 4 South Korea 1 in Soccer City.

Easy.

The Koreans seemed overawed and passive for most of this game.

Gonzalo Higuain scored the first hat-trick of the tournament and the opposition contributed an own goal in what was generally a one-sided encounter.

Lionel Messi demonstrated his skills to the admiring Koreans who did manage one response against the run of play.

There were plenty of real Argentinian fans and plenty of flags plus one special fan/coach in a suit on the sidelines (Maradona)

They did provide a more normal football atmosphere, at least at times, amongst the 80,000+ crowd.

This was my best match so far with some impressive attacking play to admire from the South Americans although there remain doubts about their defence.

My choice of parking was again to use Aeroton 'park & walk', involving a 2km trek to the stadium but at least its under your own control.
This route and a quick exit allowed me to be back at the B & B by 4pm - in time to watch some of Greece v Nigeria and, later, France v Mexico.

South Africa 0 Uruguay 3 in Pretoria.

Back to Reality.

Bafana Bafana came down to earth against a superior Uruguayan team.

The South Americans went ahead with a cracking Forlan effort, followed that with a penalty and a late third (by which time many of the crowd had gone home)

I'd found the trip from Nelspruit to Pretoria easy enough, being able to park near the restaurant/bar area by 6.30pm. It was then a twenty minute walk to Loftus.

Where it was a lot cosier than at Ellis Park/Rustenburg even though the temperature dropped to c. 5 degrees.

Tickets were available outside for between 700-1000 rand for what could have been a special night for the hosts.

The atmosphere did build up to a crescendo of noise but Diego Forlan and co. would eventually dampen the mood.

The result meant South Africa would be unlikely to progress.

Chile 1 Honduras 0 in Nelspruit.

Not chilly.

From Johannesburg you can drive to Nelspruit in around 3 hours, the last 100km or so being through some very impressive forest and mountain areas.

The stadium was easily reached, on the outskirts of the city, with parking at a petrol station fairly close by.

Chile looked competent and Honduras were very limited.

The South Americans did enough and the Central Americans never got close.

In bright sunny conditions the Chile fans provided good support for their team as did the smaller groups of Hondurans.

As always the vuvuzelas provided the background noise.

Brazil 2 North Korea 1 in Ellis Park.

Hermits beaten.

My route from Rustenburg to Johannesburg was via the N4 and the R512 getting near to the capital in good time.

However getting across to Ellis Park was not so easy even with a good map - traditional method - no GPS for me.
I got lost, as many do, eventually getting caught up in the heavy match traffic.

Following some driving around I eventually parked near downtown after a persuading a local to allow me to put my car in his secure garage area (for 50 rand)
I walked the 20 minutes or so to the stadium arriving at 7.30pm for the 8.30pm kick-off.

As I was getting to my seat the small group of North Korea 'fans' were also entering pursued by a Japanese camera crew. These 'fans' later turned out to be Chinese actors.

Brazil played mostly in third gear with Robinho displaying some tricks, Kaka waiting for harder challenges and the wing backs doing what they do best.
Maicon scored the first from a narrow angle and Elano the second from a Robinho pass.

It did come as a surprise when Ji broke through to score and for a few moments there could have been a major upset.

Ellis Park was very cold and I needed a brisk walk to warm up before getting lost again in Jo-burg.

New Zealand 1 Slovakia 1 in Rustenburg.

My second visit to Rustenburg and it was a completely different experience to the mayhem at the England v USA game.

Firstly the restrictions on car/minibus parking were enhanced and secondly only 24,000 attended.

Not surprisingly Category 4 tickets were readily available at between 50 and 100 rand (less than cost price) for what was hardly a compelling prospect.

I tried hard to find somewhere to watch the game away from the swirling wind.

The match itself was a minor triumph for the lowly ranked New Zealand team who equalised just before the final whistle to earn their first ever World Cup finals point.

They had been dangerous at set pieces with their height advantage but otherwise somewhat limited.

Slovakia should have won having lead through Vittek's glancing header but they tended to sit back.

I made a quick exit and headed for Johannesburg.

Holland 2 Denmark 0 in Soccer City.

Sea of Orange.

As is customary I left early for Soccer City but it was still slow getting into the park & walk area.

Where I joined the orange-clad fans strolling to the 'calabash' stadium.

Unusually the Dutch support did not standout as normal since the seats at Soccer City are also orange.

However some NL fans were prominent especially those in mini-skirts promoting Bavaria beer. FIFA retaliated later and some of the girls would stay in the newspapers (if not in prison) for a few days.

This was the first game at which I wore earplugs (and not the last) given to me by a sympathetic guy sitting in the next seat.

The plugs helped me endure the sound system and the vuvuzelas.

The game itself was controlled by Wesley Sneijder from midfield with the Dutch playing their usual steady passing game.

Two goals were enough - one a lucky own-goal - the other from a Sneijder pass, Elia shot and Kuyt converted the rebound.

Bendtner had shown some good touches but the Danes were well held.

Algeria 0 Slovenia 1 in Polokwane.

Up the Limpopo.

It is about 340km (4 hours) from Jo-burg to Polokwane in Limpopo province. The drive was pleasant in warm, sunny conditions with various car loads of Algerians for company.

Again I was able to walk around the stadium to get a better view and some sun whilst sitting near the Algerian fans.

As is typical many fans arrived late, often by over 30 minutes, many with the telltale 'park & ride' stickers.

They watched a mainly defensive game with both sides content to probe.

But then Algeria had a man sent off (two yellows) and it was Robert Koren who settled the issue with a long range effort that eluded the Algerian goalie.

As extra entertainment one of the Algerian fans near me decided to climb up to one of the floodlights were he waved and subsequently pleaded not to be arrested.

Eventually he was persuaded to come down and he was duly hauled off by the police.

I made Jo-burg in just over 3 hours.

England 1 USA 1 in Rustenburg.

Potentially the hardest of England's games started well enough with captain Steven Gerrard's early goal.

But the theme of goalkeeping mistakes recurred as Robert Green allowed Dempsey's shot to cross the line for the equaliser.

Early on it did look like England were planning to win the World Cup with long balls up to Emile Heskey with flick-ons to Wayne Rooney. Even if partially effective you felt it couldn't be a realistic tactic.
Chances were missed at both ends including a worrying effort from Altidore who left Carragher trailing and a predictably abortive attempt by Heskey when put through.

But overall an OK but nervy start against a competitive USA team.

My experience of watching from the side of the ground was mostly uncomfortable with screaming locals, yelling Americans, cramped food areas and the ever-present vuvuzelas.

I chose a side road for parking for a quick exit and though I managed to get away quickly it did entail diversions via unlit, bumpy side roads.
I made Jo-burg by 00.40 - many didn't & some not until 4am.

Rustenburg or rather the Royal Bafokeng Sports Palace area was much more chaotic than palatial.

South Africa 1 Mexico 1

Its time - for Africa.

No Mandela but we had Tshabalala and nearly Mphela.

I left early (11am) and even then there were hundreds queuing at the Wits University Park & Ride.
My choice was park & walk which was OK until you got near Nasrec Road where there was a long wait to get into the (dusty) parking area.

After that you had a 2km stroll to Soccer City.

Where the atmosphere was predictably noisy - vuvuzelas, Mexicans and an ear-splitting sound system.

It seemed like a low cost Opening Ceremony with traditional dancers, singing and the calabash. If it had been in the evening there would have been more fireworks.

The crowd itself was mixed, yellow shirted and in carnival mood.

The sun shone for the first half but it soon cooled down in the second period.

As to the game itself Mexico played like they did in their recent friendly against England with plenty of passing but little end result.
This would cost them as they missed chances and conceded to Tshabala's decisive strike.

Only for Marquez to benefit from slack home marking to shoot home the equaliser.

My exit was quick and I was back at my b & b within 40 minutes.

more pics at http://www.photobox.co.uk/album/404599215

Portugal 3 Mozambique 0.

This pre-World Cup warm-up game was played at the Wanderers cricket ground in Johannesburg and attended by around 27,000 local Portuguese fans who made it a vibrant, noisy atmosphere.

They saw Portugal dominate possession, create a number of half-chances but fail to breakthrough until the second period.

Mozambique did hit the post in a rare attack.

Danny scored the first after beating the offside trap and on the hour superstar C. Ronaldo came on to a rapturous welcome.

He showed some tricks and produced two excellent shots, both times the goalie failed to hold, Hugo Almeida following up to score from one of them.

Again the Jabulani ball could be factor.

It was a comfortable enough workout for the Portuguese who had a great reception from their supporters.

So a taste of things to come.

And in Sandton, on Wednesday, I saw more of the same carnival feeling amongst the thousands who watched the Bafana Bafana parade.

It reinforced the impression that the country is uniting behind their football team.

Austria May 2010

Hartberg 0 Admira Wacker 4 in the Austrian 1st Division.

It was easy enough for second placed Admira especially with Hartberg losing league top scorer Burger with a shoulder injury early on.

Krammer got two and there were headers from Hanikel and a superb one from Horvath.

Admira, who were a class above the home side, finished the scoring early in the second half and they stayed in control although sub. Schober proved a tricky winger and Michael Kolbl
put in some decent efforts.

The home fans amongst the 2000 crowd still enjoyed themselves as the beer flowed for this final game of the season.

Admira also had their group of fans although, despite this win, their team missed out on the league title to another Wacker as leaders Innsbruck also won.

To finish - some wine in the very conducive town centre on a mild evening in Styria.

UAE 3 Moldova 2 played at Anif.

In a village just south of Salzburg with a mountain backdrop this international friendly took place before around 100 people including 2 Moldovan fans (with 3 flags)

The game turned out to be reasonably watchable with UAE outpassing Moldova in the first half.

Tigirlas got the scoring going with a decisive volley then UAE hit back with a goal deflected in from a free kick then another after the Moldovan keeper failed to hold a shot.

In the second half Moldova stepped up their pace and eventually equalised through sub. Bulgaru. But the Asian team had the final say when Khalil was put through to slot home the winner.

After a sunny start the match ended in the rain which continued as I drove back towards my hotel near Steyr.

England 2 Japan 1 in Graz.

And so to the final match of this short trip to Austria.

This warm-up game prior to the World Cup seem to throw up more questions than answers for the England team.

Or maybe we were just getting the mistakes (and experiments) out of the way before the real thing starts.

As it turned out it didn't do Theo Walcott any favours (or Tom Huddlestone who played well)

Japan showed their generosity by gifting us a penalty, from which Lampard missed for the second time in succession, and then scoring two own goals.

I suspect Brazil and Spain will not be so helpful should we play them in South Africa.

more pics at http://www.photobox.co.uk/album/396217929

Czech Republic & Poland May 2010

Bohemia.

Slovan Liberec 1 Bohemians 1905 1.
in the Czech Premier.

Slovan have a neat, modern, covered ground of medium size where a smallish crowd saw an average game.

The away fans (in a corner wedge) outshouted the home fans (in another corner)

In mild, rainy conditions Bohemians took the lead with a Balek header near the start of the second half.

They held the advantage, reasonably comfortably until about ten minutes from the end when defender Kelic equalised.

Liberec itself can boast a zoo with white tigers and pink flamingos.
And some impressive buildings with one commemorating a visit by the Kaiser and another housing the Northern Bohemian Museum.

The town centre was quiet on this Friday night with a few german visitors enjoying beer at about 80 pence and much cheaper hotels than Prague.

Moravia.

Banik Ostrava 1 Sparta Prague 1.

The top two in Czech Premier met before a sellout crowd at the Bazaly.

Only a few Sparta fans made it into the stadium - most (judging by a picture in the Sport paper) were stopped by police.

Some 17,372 watched from inside and plenty from outside.

Tomas Repka (ex-West Ham) was the pantomime villain with an own goal, a booking, and for generally stirring up the crowd. He would ultimately have the last laugh,
scoring Sparta's winner in their final game.

Sparta were the better team with the ball and if anybody deserved to win it was them.
They would eventually equalise through a strike from 17 year old forward Vaclav Kadlec - a name to remember ?

Female referee Dagmar Damkova did well to control such an important game.

Overall it was an excellent atmosphere in an older style stadium, one that Banik are planning to move from despite obvious protests from the fans.

Back in the pleasant central area there was enough time for some street food and a drink.
Though not as lively as it usually would be, it being Sunday evening, there were still plenty of fans around.

Pomerania.

Its a long train journey from Ostrava to Szczecin - over 11 hours.

Pogon Szczecin 0 Ruch Chorzow 0. Polish Cup semi-final 2nd leg.

It also wouldn't have been an easy trip for the couple of hundred Ruch fans who I saw being transported to the stadium in trams.
This being Poland they had about 10 police vans as escort.

Pogon have a good sized, horseshoe shaped ground and the 12,000 fans present produced another vibrant atmosphere.
The locals were keen to see their 2nd level team progress to the Cup Final after the first leg had finished 1-1.

So there were was plenty of noise especially as the home side continued to frustrate their higher level opponents.

Pogon were very cautious but well organised and although Ruch did get close with some scrambles they never breached the home defence and Pogon held on for the 0-0 and the
away goals win.
Cue the celebrations with many fans running onto the pitch.

Incidentally there was a boxing match staged as half-time entertainment.

Pogon will play Jagiellonia Bialystok in the final.


Arka Gdynia 2 GKS Belchatow 1.

Arka needed this win as they were bottom of the Polish Premier.

The game was played at the not especially cosy Gdynia Rugby stadium on a rotten night, with rain and a piercing wind.

Basically the ground comprises one stand with a few open seats to the right and some more for the 30 or so away fans to the left (27 in black)
with a kind of mural around the rest of the pitch.

Hopefully the redeveloped new stadium, nearby, will be cosier.

Arka had scored first through DR Congo's Joel Tshibamba, been pegged back before half time but following late pressure defender Szmatiuk was to poke in the winner.

It took a brisk walk back to the Gdansk-bound train for me to warm up, helped by a couple of vodkas.

Going East.

Jagiellonia Bialystok 1 Ruch Chorzow 0.

7.5 hours or so on the train and you can be in Bialystok where the scenery is a bit more interesting, as we are much closer to Russia.

The game, on a much more pleasant evening, turned out to be another disappointment for Ruch (no ultras made it this time) who looked strong but limited.

Jagiellonia had some decent foreign players who made the game flow better and they scored a deserved winner via the head of Lithuanian Skerla.

The stadium itself has some re-building going on with just two sides in use but still space enough for the home fans to display their somewhat unusual yellow and red hooped colours.

I saw lttle of the city, apart from a rather ugly styled church.

Warsaw.

Legia Warsaw 0 Wisla Krakow 3.

A surrreal experience, firstly walking from the Politechnika metro through the park area with no police around until you're close to the stadium.

Then inside where the stadium has only the older main stand open plus a few fans behind one of the goals.

And there is the self inforced silence of the ultras after the trouble in Lithuania and the aftermath.

The Legia fans (partner ultras - Den Haag) produced only the occasional outburst - directed at either the coach or the security men.

Not only might they struggle to fill the new stadium, due to fully open by July, let alone make it intimidating but they are also lacking a suitable team to enthuse the fans.

Only the younger players got fan encouragement (and the Everton bound goalie)

Wisla scored early in both halves and Pawel Brozek went on to score a hat-trick. The visitors (no fans) could have got 6 or 7.

Apart from the football I visited the excellent Warsaw Rising Museum which included a special commemoration of the Katyn massacre.
And in the centre was a reminder of a more recent tragedy - the death of the President, his wife and many others in a plane crash in Russia.

After the game - a pizza, some wine and the Polish league highlights on TV.

The Krakow Derby.

Cracovia 1 Wisla Krakow 1.

Some 3 hours by train from Warsaw and I'm in the equally historic city of Krakow.

This derby was played in Nowa Huta, the Stalinist showpiece area of Krakow designed in the Socialist Realism style.
Which couldn't really be said of the Hutnik stadium which was small and hardly a proper setting for the Holy War. A bit like Rangers v Celtic at the Withdean.

However what the ground lacked the game made up for with some very late drama.
The stirring operatic music got us in the mood and the Cracovia ultras cranked up the noise.

And we watched Wisla pass the ball better but fail to break down the home defence. Previous hat-trick hero Brozek went off injured.

But the league leaders were to gain the advantage after Boguski lobbed the goalie with about 10 minutes remaining.
So the expected result ...until in the final minutes Cracovia get a free kick and the cross glances off the head of Wisla defender Jop for an own goal.

At nearly the same moment Lech Poznan had taken the lead in Chorzow, so Wisla were no longer top and they will not win the title.

Naturally the Cracovia fans are overjoyed with a draw that felt like a win.

The small group of Wisla fans threw what they could find.

I took the tram back to the centre, bought some beer and nuts and watched the latest UK (political) drama.


more pics at http://www.photobox.co.uk/album/381648550

Prague April 2010

Bohemians 1905 0 Banik Ostrava 1

Bright and mild - very pleasant weather to watch a late Monday afternoon game between Bohemians and joint league leaders Banik.

7,500 fans packed this atmospheric inner city ground, including around 600 from Ostrava. Some locals watched from the overlooking apartments.

Banik were somewhat disappointing, especially for a leading team, and the home side were cautious.

So it wasn't a great game.

Adam Varadi scored the winner from a left wing cross late in the second half and the visitors generally did enough not to look troubled.

The home fans and their coach complained bitterly about the referee - plus ça change.

After a 15 minute delay to let the away fans disperse a friend and I strolled towards the centre, ate a nice meal and took the tram.

more pics at http://www.photobox.co.uk/album/368462130

USA April 2010

Philadelphia Union 3 DC United 2
10th April 2010

It was bright and a sunny 17 degrees on this Saturday afternoon which helped to swell the crowd of locals coming to see the first MLS home game for Union.

As their own purpose built soccer stadium was not quite ready this game was played at the Lincoln Financial Field (home of the Eagles)

The advantage of starting at a much larger venue (capacity over 68,000) was that it allowed more people to see the opening game & it was also easy to get to, via the subway, from central Phillie.
DC also had brought decent support with around 1,000 fans located behind one of the goals.

In the end a total of nearly 35,000 fans attended though many were delayed entering the stadium due to the extra security conected with the visit of Vice-President Joe Biden.

Union are sure to sell more tickets in future following this initial win which was inspired by a hat-trick from French striker Sebastien Le Toux.

They have a relatively young, inexperienced team and it did look like DC would spoil the party after the visitors came back from 2-0 down to equalise from a goalie error.

But with ten minutes remaining Jakovic was sent off for holding back A Moreno and Le Toux scored from the resulting free kick.

Earlier Le Toux had headed in a right wing cross to open the scoring - right in front of the Union fan group.

So Union held out OK, the fans waved their free towels, and they went home happy accompanied by some fireworks.

Because of his links with those involved in the Polish plane crash coach Peter Nowak was not on the sideline, assistant John Hackworth took his place.

My feeling is that Union should get good support in the coming season though they will probably have to battle hard to make the playoffs.


Generally with more soccer-specific stadiums MLS teams should, gradually, continue to develop reasonable fan bases especially helped by the interest from younger (and hispanic) supporters.


As well as this MLS fixture I saw two baseball games :-


Washington Nationals 6 Philadelphia Phillies 5

The Nationals managed to finish off this closely fought game before the thunderstorms started.

It was a rare losing game for the Phillies and the first win for the Nationals.


New York Mets 8 Washington Nationals 2

The Mets used to play (like the Beatles) at Shea Stadium, now, typically, turned into car parking space next to Citi Field. Nearby you can buy a muffler (exhaust) system for your car but not much else.

So you got to McFaddens for a beer and to warm up before the game.

Which was won comfortably enough by the Mets including four home runs - two each by Barajas and Francoeur.
I had to forgo by $11 upper seat to try to find somewhere to watch the proceedings out of the swirling wind.


more pics at http://www.photobox.co.uk/album/359576450

Israel March 2010

Maccabi Herzliya 1 Ironi Ramat HaSharon 0

In the Liga Leumit (2nd level) this match set the tone for the extended weekend - few goals and a lack of quality near goal.

The home side played better in the second half after Ramat HaSharon had passed well in the first without threatening too much.

The winner came from some good dribbling a chip over the goalie.

I'd taken the train to Herzliya for a very reasonable 8 shekels but paid more than ten times that for the taxi back to Tel Aviv (it being Friday afternoon)

Maccabi Petah Tikva 0 Hapoel Petah Tikva 0

The Petah Tikva derby in the Municipal stadium watched by 6,000 fans.

The ground comprises two sides with the 'away' fans opposite in the open stand and the 'home' supporters in the covered main stand. Both had plenty of flags.

Not too far away the new stadium is going up, though from a distance viewed through the undergrowth, it seemed to be progressing slowly.

Maccabi edged the fast paced first half but both teams struggled to find a killer pass.

That continued into the second half.

Hapoel had a man sent off for two yellow cards, the second for 'simulation', but they held out OK for the draw.

I took the 51 sherut back, via Ramat Gan, to central Tel Aviv.

Hapoel Beersheva 1 Bnei Sakhnin 0

The away side started better and passed well but as usual lacked a good final ball.

Typically the first half was goalless.

But entering the second period Beersheva came out with more purpose, created some half chances and eventually got a penalty. This was scored and they should have got at least one more as Sakhnin pressed for an equaliser and left themselves open to counter attacks.

A decent crowd of 5,000 attended including the 'camels' and 'south boys' fans.

Beersheva is in the Negev desert and though it might be somewhat unfair to call it a one camel town it doesn't attract too many tourists.

Maccabi Haifa 1 Maccabi Tel Aviv 0

Haifa had a lot more activity especially around the packed Kiryat Eliezer stadium.

This win, from another penalty, consolidated Maccabi's grip on the leadership of the Israeli Premier League. They are virtually certain to retain their title.

Though not at their best the home side were helped when Mayuka was sent off in the first half.

Maccabi Tel Aviv played pretty well with ten men, holding out until the 83rd minute when top scorer Arbeitman slotted the (retaken) spot kick.

I strolled back to the German Colony for a couple of Araks and enjoyed the scenery around the impressive Baha'i gardens.

So not exactly a goalfest in Israel but a welcome respite from the English winter.

I took the Easyjet route back joined by a record number of babies (15) plus sundry infants.

more pictures at http://www.photobox.co.uk/album/338562689

Italy February 2010

Juventus 0 Ajax 0 in the Europa League.

Juventus had a 2-1 lead going into this second leg game and they completed the job reasonably comfortably in the Stadio Olimpico.

Ajax brought their hardcore ultras who I joined for a short while as they walked along 'Green Street' (Via Sacchi) towards the ground.

The away section was full and overall the crowd, 16,400, was pretty good for a Juventus Europa League match.

The Italians should have wrapped it up in the first half as they came close with a number of headers.

Ajax did play better in the second period when Juve consolidated to preserve their advantage.

Christian Eriksen, a recognised talent, showed good feet and the occasional shot but Ajax lacked a cutting edge.

It was only when Manninger, in for Buffon, had a couple of uneasy moments that the Dutch might have had some hope.

Vicenza 0 Citadella 2 in Serie B.

A local derby involving two teams in mid-table watched by around 8,000.

The stadium is of medium size, mainly open, with a covered main stand. The fans from Cittadella were in the left hand end and their counterparts in the better occupied end to the right.

Though the home side benefited from some good passing by Sgrigna it was Cittadella who took the lead after a defensive error allowed Carteri through to be brought down for a penalty, from which Pesoli scored.

Vicenza developed some pressure and missed a good chance near the end but the away side sealed the win with a last minute breakaway goal by the impressive Iunco.

Incidentally Vicenza produced at least three 'newspaper' style programmes and one official version.

Padova 0 Torino 1 in Serie B.

Despite Padova being second from bottom a decent crowd turned out on a sunny but coldish afternoon.

The 'programme' commemorated a game played in February 1949 between the two sides which ended 4-4. The Torino team was then 'Il Grande Torino' the great Turin side that would perish some months later in the Superga plane tragedy.

This (lesser) Torino team had support from a small group of ultras, far less than Ajax, but they looked somewhat similar except the Italians had sunglasses.

Their team got the win in the second half after top scorer Bianchi was put through to shoot home.

Though the Padova leading scorer Di Nardo worked hard up front the home side couldn't manage an equaliser and the fans went home disappointed.

I'd walked the good 45 minutes or so from the station to the stadium but took the bus back even though it was, as a helpful Padova fan said 'sempre ritardo'. Nevertheless I made my train.

more pictures at http://www.photobox.co.uk/album/325946082

Mallorca February 2010

Mallorca 1 Sevilla 3

Mallorca suffered their first home defeat of the season. Sevilla out-passed them and capitalised on some quality wide play especially from Jesus Navas.

The Islanders did go ahead early after a Borja cross was turned in by Mario but after that Sevilla controlled possession even though they had Negredo sent off.

The numbers were evened up when Ramis received what seemed a very harsh red card following much prompting by the Sevilla players.

The excellent Jesus Navas had slipped in the equaliser after a defensive mix up and he also supplied the cross for the third.

Overall a comfortable away win despite a further sending off - Zokora near the end.

Somewhat surprisingly, considering the previously perfect Mallorca home record, the stadium was only about half full. I guess the smaller winter population on the Island was a factor or maybe the fans suspected the home run was in danger.

Then three games in the Tercera Division (4th level)

Atletico Baleares 4 Mercadal 1

Atletico are a club in financial trouble with a great stadium next to the Palma ring road.

The ground, partly crumbling, can hold 20,000 and it comprises a covered main stand area with three open sides of good size terrace/seating.

Their team is not bad either especially the striker Edu who completed a hattrick in the first 30 minutes. Midfielder Lawal also stood out as the home side looked a class above the team from Menorca (who arrived just before kick-off causing a 15 minute delay to the start)

Mercadal managed a consolation goal in the second half after a defensive mistake but it was an easy win for Atletico watched by around 300 fans.

Binissalem 1 Ferriolense 3

A short drive from Palma towards Inca and you arrive at the pleasant village of Binissalem.

Like all three games I saw in this league the game was played on an all weather pitch. The benefit being they can have numerous games at different levels without any damage to the surface.

The ground was small with a few rows of open seats and a standing area opposite but plenty of room for the 100 or so that attended.

Binissalem did take the lead through a penalty but after that Ferrio responded with two from striker Espadas including another penalty.

It did get a bit feisty with a number of bookings but the away team held on OK for the win.

Arenal 0 Santa Eulalia 2

Just south of Palma, beyond the airport and the slightly depressing out-of-season bar/restaurant area, is S'Arenal.

The ground has a small covered standing/seating area with a convenient cafe in the corner.

Amongst those in the 'crowd' (of about 80) was the star Atletico Baleares striker Edu relaxing after his earlier game.

The visitors, the league leaders, scored in the first minute and then contained Arenal before adding another from the penalty spot in the second half.

Postscript.

Earlier on the Sunday morning I took the opportunity to visit the old Mallorca stadium, the Estadio Lluis Sitjar.

And an evocative sight it is.

Via a gap in the fencing from the main entrance you can go through to the top tier of the stand and look out over the overgrown pitch, views of the surroundings and crumbling terraces.

For fans of such derelict grounds it is breathtaking.

more pics at http://www.photobox.co.uk/album/322082355

Portugal February 2010

Aliados de Lordelo 2 Vizela 0

A Saturday afternoon fixture in the Divisao 2 Norte. Lordelo was a 40 minute drive from my base in Braga and it is a small place with a ground up above the town with views across the valley.

The ground itself comprises just one side for spectators with an old, unused, stand at the rear.

The home side completed the win with a header and a volley though Vizela should have got at least one goal back.

Leixoes 0 Porto 0

Not too far away is Matosinhos to the north of Porto.

The babies, Leixoes, had a very good time last season eventually finishing sixth but this year has been harder for them. Hence it was possible to get odds of around 8 to 1 for them to win this 'derbi'.

Though Porto, without Hulk, had most of the play they failed to create many chances. The speedy Varela had the best opportunity but the Leixoes goalie made the save.

Some 7,000 watched including a reasonable number from Porto.

Trofense 0 Feirense 2

This was the early Sunday morning match in the Liga Vitalis (2nd level)

Trofa is an easy drive from Braga - I took the slower, N14, route.

Their ground is neat enough with smallish side stands and larger ends. There didn't seem to be any away fans amongst the 700 or so present.

Feirense deserved the win secured by two similar headers from free kicks both nodded home by Roberto.

Sporting Braga 2 Maritimo 1

Lastly to the Municipal or AXA stadium in Braga.

Built for the 2004 Euros it is well known for its construction being carved out of rocks from an old quarry. Impressive as it is it was maybe not the cosiest stadium to visit on a bitterly cold February evening.

But a full house of over 30,000 came to see their heroes overcome a spirited effort from Maritimo who included the memorably named Pitbull in their team.

The home side kept close to Benfica at the top of the Portuguese league with a late goal swept in by Luis Aguilar prompting plenty of celebrations.

Earlier Meyong had converted a cross for Braga to take the lead before the Angolan Djalma had stunned the home fans with a great equaliser.

It took a brisk walk back to my hotel and some wine (and steak) before I warmed up.

An observation about the football in general - too many players screaming when they are fouled

and about travelling around - lots of bad driving - because there are so few police/speed traps.

more pics at http://www.photobox.co.uk/album/317779408

Africa Cup of Nations in Angola January 2010

This is Angola.

'I want to go to Benguela' - 'OK I need your passport'.

'When do I get my plane ticket' - 'by twelve'.

So you are in Luanda domestic air terminal and you're keen to get to Benguela to see two Africa Cup of Nations games and you have given your passport to a complete stranger.

How do you feel ?

Luanda is recognised as the most expensive capital city for visitors in the world.

If you do manage to get an Angolan visa not only do you face significant cost issues (hotels can charge $600/$700 per night) but for most payments you need cash.

Then you have major logistical hurdles to overcome such as negotiating the 3 hour commute into the centre. assuming you can arrange transport (Luanda is one of the few large cities in the world with hardly any taxis)

In the whole of Angola there are less than 200 petrol stations for a country many times the size of the UK. So when you do find a station there can be up to one hundred cars queueing to fill up.

Combine that with West-End style pricing in restaurants plus having to fly to most stadium locations (Cabinda for sure) and it means a considerable outlay.

And apart for allowing for delays you may well have extreme difficulty finding a hotel or guest house as what few there are usually have limited rooms available.

So there are many practical problems.

Luanda.

The delay of nearly a day due to bad weather and an incident at Heathrow was, perhaps, not so bad as it saved the price of a room in Luanda (whereas BA put us up for free)

Second time around the flight was routine and we changed from a freezing London to 27 degree heat in Angola.

As predicted (though difficult to believe) there were no taxis outside the arrival terminal but fortunately we had made contact with someone else going to the matches who had pre-arranged a car.

Travelling away from the airport the first inkling you get that something else is different is when you see cars waiting to fill up at a petrol station - at 5am in the morning.

After settling in to a Touristico Complex some way out of the centre of Luanda we took a car to a nearby shopping centre. Which was typically western style with pricing to match but without any money in the ATM's.

It was Sunday though.

Angola 4 Mali 4 in the 11th November stadium, Luanda.

The opening game of the Africa Cup of Nations was played in an impressive newly constructed stadium well outside of central Luanda. Newly constructed but not quite finished as the Chinese were still working on it for some time after the first ball was kicked.

Prior to the game there was a spectacular Portuguese-produced Opening Ceremony. It began with a constant rhythm and many dancers followed by the opening of the tournament by the popular President.

It continued with a projection of historical images onto the pitch and finished with a superb display of pyrotechnics. Then a brief silence for Togo.

The crowd were in the mood and their team continued to produce euphoria as they scored 4 goals without reply. But Angolans seem used to their team stumbling and so it was that Mali pulled one back, then a another from a Freddie Kanoute header and amazingly two more in added time.

The noise dissipated very quickly.

Back to our complex for a few hours sleep and a 3.30am alarm call.

Cabinda.

If you have no transport and there are no buses (let alone trains) some improvisation is required to get to the airport for our early morning flight to Cabinda. We, five in total, took the only option available - hitch a ride.

Fortunately it was in a 4 x4 driven by a lady taking her son to school (at 4.30 am in the morning) in downtown Luanda. A cramped but brief ride as we were at the airport before 5am.

Our luck was to continue as the TAAG flight, not known for their reliability, made an on-time departure.

Bearing in mind the tragedy the befell the Togo team, attacked when travelling by bus from Congo into Cabinda province, there would be some trepidation on arriving in Cabinda. But as we went by taxi (they do have some) through the fairly nondescript centre of town to our 'complex' there was no sense of danger.

Talking to some oil workers later on it was rumoured that many of the bad guys had been rounded up before the start of the Cup.

Also there were few signs of any Angolan flags or football shirts. Interestingly to other Angolans, from say Luanda, Cabinda is not a place they tend to visit because of its separatist nature - not just physically separate, being an exclave divided from the rest of Angola by DR Congo, but also politically.

But personally I found the people very friendly. Getting to the stadium near the bay was easy enough - the 2nd car I asked took me there.

Ivory Coast 0 Burkina Faso 0 in the Chiazi National Stadium, Cabinda.

Security was extra tight with sniffer dogs, mirrors underneath cars and police you wouldn't want to argue with.

With just three teams in Group B following the withdrawal of the Togo team it meant there was only one game to see this evening. Again the stadium was impressive - this time seating 20,000 - with around 14,000 attending.
The game itself was dominated by the Ivory Coast but they failed to breach the solid Burkina Faso defence. Though Bakary Kone should have scored. The Michael Jackson impersonators provided and entertaining half interval.

An early evening conclusion then a meal in one of the few restaurants ended with a lift back to our lodgings by 10.30pm.

Cabinda to Benguela.

We are on the road by 6am and via two lifts, the second in a pick up truck, get to the airport for 100 Kwanza each (about 70 pence)

Time for an excellent toasted sandwich. And again, amazingly, TAAG airlines left on time for Luanda.

So I arrived at the domestic terminal in Luanda at about 10.30 am and wanted to get to Benguela for that evenings' games. It is not easy knowing where to buy an airline ticket or find out when flights are leaving though some details are scribbled on a board outside the terminal.

So you say - I want to go to Benguela - give me your passport is the reply.When will I get my airline ticket - by twelve is the response.

How do you feel ? Nervous, joining others waiting outside the terminal and wondering where the UK embassy might be.

But this is a common procedure - a way to expedite the system.

And so the passport and the ticket duly arrived and, much relieved, I handed over my dollars. I was booked on the 2.30pm Sonair flight to Benguela with just the check-in procedure to negotiate. Sonair are reckoned to be the most reliable of the local airlines and they didn't let me down.

Incidentally an alternative option experienced by a couple of media people who had their flight cancelled was to take a military flight. This involved cramming into a Russian plane with limited seats meaning they had to sit on their bags and hope for the best. An option you probably only choose once.

As there is only one road, once you are out of Catumbela airport, to Benguela -Lobito it was easy enough to get a lift and be dropped off near the stadium. For once there were stalls selling food/drink outside the stadium making it a more usual football event.

Egypt 3 Nigeria 1 in the Ombaka National Stadium in Benguela.

Ever reliable Egypt came back from a goal down, helped by a goalie error, to seal victory in another convincing performance in the Nations Cup watched by a nearly full stadium.

Despite the array of well known names Nigeria just couldn't handle an understrength Pharoahs side.

followed by :-

Mozambique 2 Benin 2

Benin went two goals ahead, including a penalty from Omotoyossi, but then succumbed to a Mozambique fight back. The locals gave good support to their fellow Portuguese speakers.

As was now customary I hitched a ride into downtown Benguela (many of the locals walked the 3 miles or so) eventually finding my very amenable lodgings.

I then enjoyed a relaxing day in the city - even finding an ATM that worked and a western-style coffee place in the centre of town.

The evening was spent pleasantly enough having a meal and some beer whilst watching two more games on TV.

Back to Luanda.

An early start and a lift to the airport where I buy a ticket at check-in ($135) for the first flight back to Luanda. This time it is in a compact Embraer 120 of Air26 airlines.

Being on somewhat a roll with getting lifts it seemed natural to accept a ride with a local businessman returning to Luanda. He lived quite close to our lodgings. It would have been fine in most places but after walking to his car and driving off it seemed like he was going in the wrong direction - towards downtown.

I enquired - he pointed to his petrol gauge - it started to go wrong.

We did find a petrol station that was open but there were a large number of cars waiting so the decision was to wait for an hour or so or try another option. We chose the latter and walked to a nearby large hotel. Where I booked a 'taxi' to get us to the stadium in good time for the first match.

By now it was after 1pm, not too late normally but this is central Luanda and the stadium is well out of town. Time passed and the hotel's estimate of about a 20 minute wait turned out to be 'african time'. The driver appeared at about 2.30pm and then he had to find two other guys who had also booked a ride. They would turn up eventually.

Meanwhile outside was the Mali team bus.

The Mali team were staying at the hotel and they were playing Algeria at 5pm. So we go to the car and our driver looks relaxed enough. Rather than speeding off he waits and says - jogadors (players) & then you realise that there is a plan.

Our man waited for the police outriders, the bus, the cars and the guys with the automatic weapons and slotted in behind them with lights flashing.

So on we sped through central Luanda in convoy waving away the traffic and making it to the stadium in an hour. Recommended.

Algeria 1 Mali 0 in Luanda.

The first of the double-header watched by a fairly small crowd that would grow as time went on.

A goalie error allowed Algeria to score the winner - a theme that would continue. That and the bad quality of the pitches (rainy Lubango apart) reported to be caused by repeated overuse and lack of payment for maintenance.

After their poor result in the first game the North Africans were kissing the turf and back in the tournament.

Angola 2 Malawi 0

These were the best moments for Angola. The real fans were here - not just those coming for the fireworks.

It was Flavio again who got the party started followed by a defensive mistake that allowed, the generally disappointing, Manucho to get the second.

Now we had the noise cranked up as the crowd celebrated.

As we drove back through some poor areas it was (I imagine) like being in Soweto when Nelson Mandela arrives with the people on the street going crazy and stopping cars. You realised what this win meant to the fans.

After that I had a relaxing day in central Luanda including a walk to the local TAAG airline office where I cre-scheduled a flight - about an hour of waiting but it was in air-conditioned comfort. The evening was spent in a local restaurant enjoying a caipirinha, beer and and some beef for around £30.

Lubango.

As my Luanda hotel was not too far from the airport the easiest way to get there, assuming you have a small amount of luggage, is to use one of the shared taxis. So for 100 kwanza (70 pence) you can be dropped fairly close to the terminal albeit in a very cramped mini bus.

Then you have to endure the sweat box that is the domestic terminal and the queue for the flight to Lubango. But at least once through security there is the blessed, air conditioned, relief of the waiting area (and maybe a toasted sandwich)

As we wait there are no signs of any flights departing but after a while one of the teams arrives and once they have gone through flights start to leave. Just the two hours late for the TAAG flight. But on-board you do get cheered up by the video of 'just for laughs' a Canadian candid-camera show.

Though everybody would trade an on-time departure instead of a funny film.

Once in Lubango there is a major problem with finding accomodation.

For me I was fortunate in getting help from the local tournament organisation. Some of their people drove me around various lodges firstly without success. But after some calls they discovered a hotel with a spare room. So off we went - towards the mountains.

Past the Che Guevara school and into a shanty town. It was evident they had never been to this hotel before and I was not feeling confident about this.

But after asking a local we negotiated the unmade roads and rocky track up to what turned out to be a new, medium sized hotel complex. It had European quality furnishings and a TV showing constant football (at $130 per night)

A haven between heaven and somewhere else, surrounded by poverty, with views up to the statue of Christ on the mountain and down to Lubango.

So I settled down in the restaurant with chicken & chips and a bottle of wine while watching Nigeria v Benin and nodding off to Egypt v Mozambique.

The next morning it was raining hard as I watched the Liverpool v Reading replay and some of an academy game from Liverpool TV, as you do in Angola.

This is when I met some of my fellow residents because staying in the hotel was the Cameroonian cultural delegation. So I got to meet musicians Sidney Tum (winner of an Africa Stars competition) and Richard Kings - both coming from an English-speaking part of Cameroon. They strummed and I chilled or something like that.

As there was a taxi waiting I took the chance to leave early for the stadium.

Which like all the others was impressive with two large side stands and very little at the ends. The mountains formed a picturesque backdrop and the cooler conditions (around 20 degrees and rainy) were a relief from steamy Luanda.

Gabon 0 Tunisia 0 in the Tundavala stadium Lubango.

Defences dominated and the Tunisian fans lit some flares. The crowd builds up.

Cameroon 3 Zambia 2

The second game of this double header and I was thinking about the Cameroon fans as their team went behind against the Chipolopolo. Rigobert Song made the error but Zambia's goalie would return the favour as he let in Geremi's shot from range.

From then on Cameroon took the lead then rather surprisingly got pegged back but captain Samuel Eto'o was there to score the winner. So the delegation could stay longer in Lubango.

I took the 4 x 4 route back though as before the driver had never heard of the hotel.

Finally back to Luanda.

Though I was booked on the 1.0 pm TAAG flight from Lubango to Luanda I decided to get to the airport early.
The equation was to wait for the very unreliable TAAG flight or take the first available option despite having to pay another $130. If I waited and the booked flight was late I'd probably miss the Angola game that evening.

Hence I lined up to buy another ticket, this time with Deixim airlines. Again far from reliable but at least they were scheduled to go at 11 am. Their organisation was, lets say, not the best as at least 3 people were left on the tarmac having not been given boarding passes.

Though they were over an hour late arriving in Luanda it did give us enough time to get to the stadium. I was told later that the TAAG flight I'd booked didn't arrive until 10 pm that night.

Angola 0 Algeria 0 in Luanda.

Back in the 1982 World Cup Algeria had missed out on progressing from their group after Germany and Austria had effectively played out an agreed result.

This time Algeria benefited at the expense of Mali as the game faded out from early in the second half. It was a shame that the crowd had to endure such a travesty of a contest.

At the end it was a time for a quick exit, another ride in a 4 x4 to downtown, and a meal near the lodgings.

The next day I saw my tenth and final game :-

Ghana 1 Burkina Faso 0 in Luanda.

Predicatably a much lower crowd (maybe 4,000) made the trip to the stadium for this Group B decider.

The Black Stars needed to win in order to make the quarter finals and they did so with an Ayew header.

My last hitchhike, though not quite as easy as before, worked OK and was back at my hotel by 8 pm.

Leaving the game for the last time made me contemplate what might happen to these superb stadiums. With a fairly weak local league watched by crowds of around 1,000 (and a pitch maintenance contract of one year) does make you wonder how they will used in the coming years.

Summary.

Despite the pre-conceived impression it has my visit to Angola, including Cabinda, passed without incident. Of course there are many issues, particularly with logistics, but in some ways I found the people more friendly than in Ghana. Perhaps because they meet so few tourists.

You go there knowing costs are going to be high so there is less sense of being ripped off.

And where would you find somewhere, certainly in Europe, where it is so easy to hitch a ride ? Often for free.

My trip was just ten days and I only made one visit to each remote location so that made it somewhat less stressful. Also I hardly got bitten by any bugs and didn't get any stomach problems (for a change) so all that handwashing must have helped.

Perhaps in the future they will make it easier for tourists to visit Angola, build more reasonably priced hotels, licence some taxis and have many more petrol stations.

And maybe one day the oil money will filter down to the local population.

But it will take a while.

more pictures at http://www.photobox.co.uk/album/295074418

England v Brazil in Doha November 2009

Wind,rain and flooding - not ideal for watching football.
But that was in the UK.

In Doha it is hot and sunny.

Construct some high class hotels, an impressive museum , some American quality shopping centres in a location around a bay. Add in some skyscraper towers and a sanitised souq.


Bring in multitudes from the Indian sub-continent to do the work - work that visibly continues at a pace despite the economic downturn.



And you have an environment that is safe and secure with guarenteed weather.

The only downside being the tolerance of smoking in public places (and the likely boredom after being there for a while)



Doha - an attractive venue for many sporting contests, conferences and other prestigious events.
Such as...

England 0 Brazil 1 in the Khalifa International Stadium.

The locals made it family friendly with an opening presentation complete with flourescent lights.

In the game itself our reserves were always going to struggle against a stronger Brazilian team.

As usual we made some defensive mistakes - one by Wes Brown should have resulted in a red card for Foster. The referee kept it friendly and also let a number of other fouls go by.

We created little - Bent hardly had a touch from the minimal service he received - making it very difficult to assess him as a World Cup striker.

The stadium was stylish - like a lot of Doha - in an area next to a world class mall (complete with canal and gondola) and a striking tower.

It was also a stadium with an arch - like a number these days.

Prompting the question about Wembley -why did we not make more effort to preserve those unique twin towers ?

Afterwards I returned to my hotel via a bus from outside the stadium followed by a walk along the corniche to the accompaniment of noisy, ecstatic Egyptians celebrating their result against Algeria.

On this trip I did forgo any alcohol - it was available at a price in the larger hotels but was usually accompanied by a haze of smoke .

That wouldn't have been comfortable - unlike Brazil's victory.