After some dramatic final round and playoff matches, the footballing nations which will grace the stadiums in South Africa are now complete. France, though should be feeling very sheepish as they cheated their way into South Africa.
No one would've expected Thierry Henry to do a "mini-Maradona" but unfortunately, footballers will always try to gain an advantage whether legally or illegally. Click to continue reading...

Get your vuvuzelas out and get ready for one of the best soccer matches you will see this season – Saturday it is time for a Soweto Derby and Kaizer Chiefs say they are ready to take on out of form Orlando Pirates.

Injured Bucs Captain Benson Mhlongo

Benson Mhlongo Injury Setback for the Buccaneers

Orlando Pirates boss Ruud Krol has admitted that the loss of Buccaneers captain, Benson Mhlongo will come as a big blow to his side's Soweto Derby aspirations.

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Here's the story. I'd write more, but I have to go test my mute button.

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FIFA rejects calls to ban the wind instrument.

"It's been compared to a deafening swarm of wasps. Or a herd of flatulent elephants."

How about we will never have to suffer through Max Bretos and Christopher Sullivan's whingeing drivel?

For all those naysayers who think SA is going to be a crime haven, the vuvuzela will be the perfect crime stopper.

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All the stuff being covered outside the unfriendly confines of Dirty Tackle...

Kaka either passed his final medical for Real Madrid or he's into some really freaky things that I'd like to stop thinking about now. [Eurosport]

The Spanish national team are helping to spread the plague of vuvuzelas.

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You'd have though Jonathan "J-Dub" Wilson would be the sort of pundit to tell us the Confederations Cup taught us why an attacking midfielder in the MODERN GAME should always lead off on his right foot so as to to be able to cut more deftly inside in a 4-3-1-2 formation, but no, he's opted to shoot five upended fish a barrel buzzing with vuvuzelas (Spain is beatable Jon? Click to continue reading...

Really brilliant goal by South Africa's Katlego Mphela in that country's 3-2 loss to Spain today in the Confederations Cup.
Mphela's goal came in the 92nd minute and tied the 3rd place game 2-2, forcing extra time.
During the short break before extra time began, ESPN dunce / analyst Alexi Lalas commented, "Spain would be on a flight back home to Lisbon," were it not for Mphela's brillance. Click to continue reading...

The wacky Sepp Blatter, FIFA's President, the same guy who last summer called Cristiano Ronaldo a slave - singlehandedly re-igniting my sportswriting career, is back at it again.
This time, Blatter says that a major concern ahead of next year's World Cup in South Africa is an accommodation shortage - and he is proposing the berthing of passenger cruise ships off Durban, Cape Town, and Port Elizabeth to deal with the issue - setting up floating mini-hotels. Click to continue reading...

The movement to ban vuvuzelas continues to gain supporters and steam. Dutch head coach Bert Van Marwijk spoke out against the annoying horns.
"At home watching TV it really was annoying, but in the stadiums you get used to it but it is still unpleasant," Van Marwikj, who is on a fact-finding tour before next year's World Cup finals, told reporters at the hotel his team will use next year. Click to continue reading...

The kids may be cute, but can we shut them up please?
Maybe our World Cup experience won't leave us with torn ear drums after all? FIFA is to discuss the future of the vuvuzela.
FIFA president Sepp Blatter said he was aware of complaints of the instrument drowning out the commentary of broadcasters and the calls to have the loud fog horn banned. Click to continue reading...

Admit it. You've been watching the Confederations Cup and heard that incessant monotonous buzzing. It's driving you crazy...at best it makes you want to mute the TV, at worst it makes you want to throw your TV out the window.
If you think this is bad, just wait until the 2010 World Cup when the stadium are likely to be at or near capacity. Click to continue reading...

Vuvuzela:
Noun - an elongated plastic instrument that South African football fans blow to make a loud trumpeting noise [from Zulu]
Etymology: Zulu. vuvuzela - to make a loud noise and ruin the 2010 World Cup for everybody but the locals. Click to continue reading...

I'm watching the South Africa - Iraq Confederations Cup match this morning and I can't help but notice the trumpeting elephant horns shrieking incessantly throughout the crowd. I'll be in Cape Town for the World Cup next year, so I'm paying close attention to every detail...
The horns are called vuvuzelas and they sound like foghorns - and are modern spin-offs of traditional instruments made from spiraling kudu horns. Click to continue reading...