NEMATANDANI HAILS THE FIRST EVER FAN WORLD CUP

The President of the South African Football Association (SAFA), Mr. Kirsten Nematandani, hailed the Bafana Bafana Fan Club for organizing the inaugural and successful Fan World Cup. First of its kind, the Fan World Cup was held at the Halfway House Primary School in Midrand Johannesburg and has enjoined football fans from the world over, to pitch the football skills in a fun-filled 15 minutes per game tournament. This historic event is believed to be representing the ideals of the estimated 1 billion of football fanatics, who sought to add value in football.

Addressing local and international football fans that represented the 32 teams who participated in the 2010 FIFA World Cup, the media, and the spectators, the visibly pleased Nematandani said, “I stand before all of you, proud that football supporters from all walks of life opted to use their time of rest and embraced this historic event. You are the lifeblood of the game. I have no doubt in my mind today’s success will go far and beyond our expectations. The game of football will never be the same again”

Preceding his address, the President took a walk about of the futsal pitches meeting players and the spectators, a gesture that was received with high levels of ecstasy and fulfillment.

The President’s hopes to see the African team lifting the first ever World Cup trophy were however lessened, first, by the Bafana Fan Team, who had a narrow exit in the last 16 of the competition, bowing out on the sudden death against Paraguay who proceeded to the last eight with (4) goals to (3). Paraguay held Bafanatics to a goalless draw and the game had to be decided through what could have gone either way, the sudden death. It was however not to be as the six ‘Bafanatics’ who carried the country’s hope of winning the inaugural Fan World Cup, handed Paraguay the blank cheque after failing to net a winning penalty.

The Guinness Book World Record holder, Thulani ‘The Last Man Standing” Ngcobo and William ‘Mr. Christmas’ Mukwevho, courageously conceded that penalty shoot-outs was a 50/50 chance to make the 49 million South Africans proud.

Bafanatics captain, Masilo “Comrade” Machaka however showed leadership when he accepted defeat and praised his men for a brave showing. “We have played very well in the first round and to show our determination to go all the way to glory, we had to loose on the sudden death. These things are unfortunately part of the game” said the Bafana Bafana prominent supporter who sounded like a matured professional player with his post-match impressions.

Cameroon’s campaign to fly high, the African flag, were equally short-lived as they bowed out in the quarter-finals loosing 2-0 against Denmark.

After a back-to-back 7h15 of five-a-side competitive football, New Zealand were crowned the inaugural Champions of the first ever Fan World Cup smiling all the way to the bank with a cheque of R10 000. Germany and Denmark also deserved a reward for their sweat for success, walking away with R7 500 and R5 000, second-and third prize respectively. The prizes were all sponsored by the Gauteng Department of Sports, Arts, Culture and Recreation (GDSACR).

The CEO of the Fan World Cup Organizing Committee (FWOC), Dr. Nikolaus Eberl, was also full of praises to all the participants who made history on the day.

“All of you here today, will be part of history, for participating in the first ever Fan World Cup. Your names will forever be engraved in the history of our beautiful and exciting game, football”, he said.

South Africa’s Kwaito rising star, Chome of 999 Music, was not to spoil the excitement as she left the crowd asking for more with her trademark song “Jiva”.

The Diva in the making, told the organizers that her sponsored performance at the event, was a “BIG THANK YOU” to the people who made football, a colourful catalyst of nation building. “Football fans made what football is today, and we shall all try by all means to reward them. The World Cup is an eye-opener for South Africa, the African continent and the World”, she said.

PLEASE NOTE THAT A FULL FIXTURE, RESULTS AND PRIZE WINNERS OF THE FAN WORLD CUP WILL BE MADE AVAILABLE ON THE BAFANA WEBSITE SHORTLY. www.bafanafanclub.com or www.fanworldcup.org

Enquiries:
Siyabulela Makunga
Spokesperson: Fan World Cup Organizing Committee
Cell: 072 768 0238
Email: safsaonline@gmail.com
Website: www.fanworldcup.org

PRIZE WINNERS
1. Winner (New Zealand) = Fan World Cup Trophy, R10 000 and Gold Medals
2. Runners-Up (Germany) = R7 500
3. Third Place (Denmark) = R5 000