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| World Cup: One year to go | World Cup: One year to go |
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| Clad in fire and earthen colours, this arena has an African cooking pot design By Simon Hancock BBC News, South Africa | Clad in fire and earthen colours, this arena has an African cooking pot design By Simon Hancock BBC News, South Africa |
| While excitement grows in South Africa for next year's World Cup, doubts continue to circulate abroad about the country's ability to pull it off. Just how are preparations going? | While excitement grows in South Africa for next year's World Cup, doubts continue to circulate abroad about the country's ability to pull it off. Just how are preparations going? |
| There is one year until the World Cup gets under way in South Africa. On 11 June 2010 at the Soccercity stadium in Johannesburg, South Africa will take to the field in front of more than 90,000 spectators for the opening game of the tournament. | There is one year until the World Cup gets under way in South Africa. On 11 June 2010 at the Soccercity stadium in Johannesburg, South Africa will take to the field in front of more than 90,000 spectators for the opening game of the tournament. |
| "I'll be quite nervous," admits the man in charge of the construction of the stadium, Mike Moody, imagining the scene. | "I'll be quite nervous," admits the man in charge of the construction of the stadium, Mike Moody, imagining the scene. |
| "I'll be waiting for the huge screams of the 90,000 fans and suddenly everything's working - the screens, the seats, the access - it's going to be an amazing evening, with a brass band and Zulu war drums, I imagine. Quite spectacular." | "I'll be waiting for the huge screams of the 90,000 fans and suddenly everything's working - the screens, the seats, the access - it's going to be an amazing evening, with a brass band and Zulu war drums, I imagine. Quite spectacular." |
| Construction work on the stadium still has five months to run, but already you can almost picture it. | Construction work on the stadium still has five months to run, but already you can almost picture it. |
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| A look at the World Cup stadium | A look at the World Cup stadium |
| The structural work was completed long ago and most of the bright orange seats have already been installed. | The structural work was completed long ago and most of the bright orange seats have already been installed. |
| Mr Moody explains that because of the design of the hi-tech stadium, no spectator will be more than 100 metres (330ft) from the action and there are no restricted views. | Mr Moody explains that because of the design of the hi-tech stadium, no spectator will be more than 100 metres (330ft) from the action and there are no restricted views. |
| He believes it to be one of the most advanced arenas in the world. | He believes it to be one of the most advanced arenas in the world. |
| Outside, it is designed to have the appearance of an African cooking pot. | Outside, it is designed to have the appearance of an African cooking pot. |
| Its cladding is a mosaic of fire and earthen colours and when completed, a ring of lights running around the bottom of the structure, simulating fire underneath the pot, will complete the look. | Its cladding is a mosaic of fire and earthen colours and when completed, a ring of lights running around the bottom of the structure, simulating fire underneath the pot, will complete the look. |
| This is to be South Africa's answer to Beijing's Olympic Bird's Nest. | This is to be South Africa's answer to Beijing's Olympic Bird's Nest. |
| Bad press | Bad press |
| Elsewhere in the country, other stadia are shaping up to be almost as impressive. | Elsewhere in the country, other stadia are shaping up to be almost as impressive. |
| Cape Town's Greenpoint stadium with its view of Table Mountain is also sure to captivate the billions of television viewers the tournament will attract over its duration. | Cape Town's Greenpoint stadium with its view of Table Mountain is also sure to captivate the billions of television viewers the tournament will attract over its duration. |
| This country has hosted 146 major events, all without a single security issue Danny JordaanOrganising committee href="/sport2/hi/football/8088624.stm">Preparations in graphics href="/2/hi/talking_point/8093151.stm">Are you up for the World Cup? | |
| The competition's organisers feel they have received a bad press. | The competition's organisers feel they have received a bad press. |
| Not everything has gone as smoothly as the stadia construction - there have been issues with some of the transport projects, and some here have questioned whether a developing country should be spending so much on such an event when so many live in abject poverty. | Not everything has gone as smoothly as the stadia construction - there have been issues with some of the transport projects, and some here have questioned whether a developing country should be spending so much on such an event when so many live in abject poverty. |
| But nothing would so far seem to justify recent suggestions that the 2010 World Cup might need to be moved to another country. | But nothing would so far seem to justify recent suggestions that the 2010 World Cup might need to be moved to another country. |
| "We will pick up on this issue on July 11th after the final whistle, when we're not talking about projections, about what may or may not happen, but about fact," says Danny Jordaan, head of the local organising committee. | "We will pick up on this issue on July 11th after the final whistle, when we're not talking about projections, about what may or may not happen, but about fact," says Danny Jordaan, head of the local organising committee. |
| "The fact is that this country has hosted 146 major events - including the Rugby World Cup and the Cricket World Cup - all of them successful, all of them safe, without a single security issue." | "The fact is that this country has hosted 146 major events - including the Rugby World Cup and the Cricket World Cup - all of them successful, all of them safe, without a single security issue." |
| South Africa has another chance to stage a dress-rehearsal with the Confederations Cup for the world's continental football champions kicking off this weekend. | South Africa has another chance to stage a dress-rehearsal with the Confederations Cup for the world's continental football champions kicking off this weekend. |
| Crime concerns | Crime concerns |
| As for concerns about crime, Mr Jordaan points out that the Indian Premier League cricket tournament was recently moved from India to South Africa, precisely because it was deemed to be safer. | As for concerns about crime, Mr Jordaan points out that the Indian Premier League cricket tournament was recently moved from India to South Africa, precisely because it was deemed to be safer. |
| Organisers of the tournament are said to be setting their sights high | Organisers of the tournament are said to be setting their sights high |
| The organisers, in fact, are setting their sights high - promising to put on the best World Cup ever - but several factors are working against them. | The organisers, in fact, are setting their sights high - promising to put on the best World Cup ever - but several factors are working against them. |
| The global recession has forced them to cut projections for visitor numbers to around 300,000, meaning far less revenue than expected, and meanwhile the poor showing of the national team threatens to spoil South Africa's party. | The global recession has forced them to cut projections for visitor numbers to around 300,000, meaning far less revenue than expected, and meanwhile the poor showing of the national team threatens to spoil South Africa's party. |
| Most successful World Cups see the host team perform well, exciting the host population. | Most successful World Cups see the host team perform well, exciting the host population. |
| The dream in South Africa is to unite an often divided country behind a common cause, but so far that cause - the national team, known as Bafana Bafana (The Boys) - is not playing its part, languishing 72nd in the world rankings behind Panama, Bahrain and Gambia. | The dream in South Africa is to unite an often divided country behind a common cause, but so far that cause - the national team, known as Bafana Bafana (The Boys) - is not playing its part, languishing 72nd in the world rankings behind Panama, Bahrain and Gambia. |
| With much of the white population not traditional football fans, prospects for a country-wide celebration look bleak. | With much of the white population not traditional football fans, prospects for a country-wide celebration look bleak. |
| "It comes down to success. If I'm honest, I'd rather watch rugby when the national team is doing badly - I know we've more chance of winning," says former Bafana Bafana star, Mark Fish. | "It comes down to success. If I'm honest, I'd rather watch rugby when the national team is doing badly - I know we've more chance of winning," says former Bafana Bafana star, Mark Fish. |
| "We've gone from up there, to down here and we now lag behind much of Africa." | "We've gone from up there, to down here and we now lag behind much of Africa." |
| Witchdoctors | Witchdoctors |
| Given these issues, some here question whether the outlay - thought to be around 26bn South African rand ($3.3bn;£2bn) - is money well spent in what is a developing country. | Given these issues, some here question whether the outlay - thought to be around 26bn South African rand ($3.3bn;£2bn) - is money well spent in what is a developing country. |
| Even in the shadow of some of the brand new stadia, residents live in abject poverty. | Even in the shadow of some of the brand new stadia, residents live in abject poverty. |
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| Sinazo Qambela shows around the slum in the shadow of Orlando Stadium | Sinazo Qambela shows around the slum in the shadow of Orlando Stadium |
| But the World Cup will leave a legacy for some. | But the World Cup will leave a legacy for some. |
| In parts of Soweto, where previously there were slums and polluted land, trees are being planted and a park area has been created to welcome the expected influx of visitors the tournament will bring. | In parts of Soweto, where previously there were slums and polluted land, trees are being planted and a park area has been created to welcome the expected influx of visitors the tournament will bring. |
| And at the local football school, children now play on turfed pitches, rather than dust. | And at the local football school, children now play on turfed pitches, rather than dust. |
| The passion and colour of the existing football fans here should ensure there is a party for visitors, if not in the wider host population. | The passion and colour of the existing football fans here should ensure there is a party for visitors, if not in the wider host population. |
| And some may well be resorting to unorthodox methods to spur on the Bafana Bafana. | And some may well be resorting to unorthodox methods to spur on the Bafana Bafana. |
| Fish, as a former player with Soweto's biggest team, the Orlando Pirates, speaks about the reliance on witchcraft in football. | Fish, as a former player with Soweto's biggest team, the Orlando Pirates, speaks about the reliance on witchcraft in football. |
| He says he doesn't even want to think about some of the potions he was forced to swallow during his playing career. | He says he doesn't even want to think about some of the potions he was forced to swallow during his playing career. |
| The witchdoctors are no doubt already sharpening their chicken bones - it may be South Africa's best chance of success. | The witchdoctors are no doubt already sharpening their chicken bones - it may be South Africa's best chance of success. |
| On the pitch, at least. | On the pitch, at least. |