World Scout Jamboree disaster blamed on South Korean government    Hajj Ministry warns against fake companies    Saudi Arabia starting direct flights between Dammam and Najaf    Egyptian delegation arrives in Israel to revive deadlocked ceasefire and hostage talks    Minister of Defense celebrates graduation of King Abdulaziz military college cadets    TGA introduces uniform for bus drivers    Ministry uncovers misuse of mosque utilities during inspection    Health Ministry reports 15 food poisoning cases linked to one establishment in Riyadh    Saudi Arabia supports UNRWA's efforts for Palestinian refugees, urges donor commitment    Supreme Court appears ready to reject Trump's immunity claims    Indian voters battle extreme temperatures as intense heat wave hits region    'Zarqa Al Yamama': Riyadh premieres first Saudi opera    Riyadh Season announces first overseas event with boxing gala in Los Angeles    Al-Ahsa Airport to double capacity to accommodate 100 million passengers a year    Al Hilal's comeback effort falls short in AFC Champions League semi-finals    Belgian man whose body produces alcohol in rare condition acquitted of drunk driving    Australian police launch manhunt for Home and Away star Orpheus Pledger    Spice Girls reunite at Posh's 50th birthday    Swedish rider Eckermann wins 2024 Show Jumping World Cup in Riyadh    Aspiring fencer Josh Brayden aims for Olympic glory    JK Rowling in 'arrest me' challenge over hate crime law    Trump's Bible endorsement raises concern in Christian religious circles    Hollywood icon Will Smith shares his profound admiration for Holy Qur'an    We have celebrated Founding Day for three years - but it has been with us for 300    Exotic Taif Roses Simulation Performed at Taif Rose Festival    Asian shares mixed Tuesday    Weather Forecast for Tuesday    Saudi Tourism Authority Participates in Arabian Travel Market Exhibition in Dubai    Minister of Industry Announces 50 Investment Opportunities Worth over SAR 96 Billion in Machinery, Equipment Sector    HRH Crown Prince Offers Condolences to Crown Prince of Kuwait on Death of Sheikh Fawaz Salman Abdullah Al-Ali Al-Malek Al-Sabah    HRH Crown Prince Congratulates Santiago Peña on Winning Presidential Election in Paraguay    SDAIA Launches 1st Phase of 'Elevate Program' to Train 1,000 Women on Data, AI    41 Saudi Citizens and 171 Others from Brotherly and Friendly Countries Arrive in Saudi Arabia from Sudan    Saudi Arabia Hosts 1st Meeting of Arab Authorities Controlling Medicines    General Directorate of Narcotics Control Foils Attempt to Smuggle over 5 Million Amphetamine Pills    NAVI Javelins Crowned as Champions of Women's Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (CS:GO) Competitions    Saudi Karate Team Wins Four Medals in World Youth League Championship    Third Edition of FIFA Forward Program Kicks off in Riyadh    Evacuated from Sudan, 187 Nationals from Several Countries Arrive in Jeddah    SPA Documents Thajjud Prayer at Prophet's Mosque in Madinah    SFDA Recommends to Test Blood Sugar at Home Two or Three Hours after Meals    SFDA Offers Various Recommendations for Safe Food Frying    SFDA Provides Five Tips for Using Home Blood Pressure Monitor    SFDA: Instant Soup Contains Large Amounts of Salt    Mawani: New shipping service to connect Jubail Commercial Port to 11 global ports    Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques Delivers Speech to Pilgrims, Citizens, Residents and Muslims around the World    Sheikh Al-Issa in Arafah's Sermon: Allaah Blessed You by Making It Easy for You to Carry out This Obligation. Thus, Ensure Following the Guidance of Your Prophet    Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques addresses citizens and all Muslims on the occasion of the Holy month of Ramadan    







Thank you for reporting!
This image will be automatically disabled when it gets reported by several people.



World Cup body fears transport ‘nightmare'
Published in The Saudi Gazette on 02 - 06 - 2010

World Cup organizers Tuesday urged fans to leave early for the tournament's June 11 kick-off, saying they feared a “nightmare” traffic situation following two dress rehearsal matches.
Jerome Valcke, general secretary of football governing body FIFA, said fans should arrive at least an hour early for the 2 P.M. (1200 GMT) opening ceremony ahead of the tournament's first match between South Africa and Mexico.
“We must and we have to start this World Cup with a full stadium. It would be sad if the stadium is (only) full by the time Bafana Bafana already scored two goals against Mexico,” Valcke told reporters following the final pre-World Cup meeting of South Africa's organising committee.
Highways leading to the 94,700-seat Soccer City, venue for the opening and final matches, were jammed with more than five kilometers of traffic Thursday as fans made their way to a friendly between the national team and Colombia.
Johannesburg officials said Friday that private cars would be blocked from World Cup stadiums to ease traffic. To get inside the 800m security perimeter around stadiums, fans will have to take park-and-ride buses or enter on foot.
Dream come true
The World Cup in 10 days time will fulfill a dream that began with the release of Nelson Mandela from an apartheid jail in 1990, chief local organizer Danny Jordaan said Tuesday.
Jordaan told a news conference that Africa's first edition of soccer's biggest tournament was the culmination of a journey that began with Mandela's release and then the first multi-racial elections in 1994.
“When Nelson Mandela walked out of the prison, we were all debating the kind of South Africa that we will create from 1990 onwards and as we sit in 2010 and we see the arrival of the teams, we can say truly this is the kind of South Africa we hoped for, that we dreamed of,” he said.
FIFA President Sepp Blatter joined in the hyperbole. “This first African FIFA World Cup will be a big page in the history of humanity, not only in the history of sport,” the head of soccer's governing body said in a statement after a meeting of the World Cup organising committee.


Clic here to read the story from its source.