The organisers of the Confederations Cup, the warm-up for the 2010 World Cup, on Monday said they were looking at ways to avoid repeat scenes of the world’s top footballers playing in half-empty stadiums.
On Sunday night, European champions Spain defeated New Zealand 5-0 in the second game of the eight-nation Confederations Cup in Rustenburg, but only about 21 000 supporters turned up to watch Fernando Torres and team in a stadium that can seat 42 000.
The poor turnout at the Royal Bafokeng Stadium contrasted with the near-capacity crowd that packed Johannesburg’s Ellis Park stadium for the opening game between South Africa and Iraq, which ended in a goalless draw.
”You can take to the horse to the water but you can’t force it to drink the water,” Rich Mkondo, spokesperson for the World Cup local organising committee, told a press conference on Monday.
”We are discussing what more we can do to urge people to come and attend,” he said.
Fifa spokesperson Nicolas Maingot also downplayed the attendance issue as ”not a first in a Fifa competition”.
Many commentators feel the ticket prices are too high for the average South African football supporter, particularly in a provincial mining town and particularly in times of recession.
The cheapest ticket for a group match in the Cup is R70 – more than half a labourer’s average daily earnings. After that, the prices climb threefold to a minimum R210.
Asked whether Fifa would consider lowering prices for upcoming games, Mkondo said: ”It was mentioned in some quarters. It is an issue that the organising committee and Fifa will look at.”
Maingot, however, said he was not aware of any plans to sink prices and expressed broad satisfaction with the tournament so far.
”The atmosphere in the stadium [Ellis Park] was excellent, the organisation was good, very good, We have the feeling the tournament started in a very positive way.”
Mkondo also took aim at ”those Doubting Thomases” who have persistently questioned South Africa’s ability to host a successful World Cup, saying, ”They’re eating humble pie as we speak,” while acknowledging not everything was perfect.
Transport has emerged as a key area of concern in Johannesburg, with supporters complaining of chaos and long delays in the park-and-ride bus systems put in place for the games.
Mkondo said the city of Johannesburg was looking at how to iron out the kinks.
On the issue of South Africa’s revered national anthem being severed on Sunday to fit a 90-second schedule, Fifa pointed the finger at Bafana Bafana, saying the team had provided the tape, which did not include the English verses.
‘Another tough game’
Meanwhile, South Africa, after a nervy opening stalemate with Iraq, face New Zealand Wednesday in the knowledge that another lacklustre showing will all but spell the end of their Confederations Cup.
Swashbuckling Spain, having knocked the stuffing out of New Zealand, are sailing through to the semifinals, leaving Joel Santana’s side in a tight scrap for the Group A runners-up berth.
A win is a must as anything less would leave Iraq in the driving seat and South Africa frustrated touchline onlookers for the remainder of this tournament on their turf.
Santana’s future then depends on Bafana Bafana producing the goods against a Kiwi side that is sure to have learned invaluable lessons after their tame capitulation in the 5-0 rout to the Euro 2008 champions.
Santana can take a number of positives from Sunday’s 0-0 draw at Ellis Park as, despite missing a host of chances — not as many though as the 17 he wildly claimed after the match — South Africa did put together some neat moves in the second half.
And the height of Matthew Booth was effective in adding steel to the defence.
”New Zealand will be another tough game. We need four or five points for the semifinals and that’s what we’re aiming at,” Santana said.
”We’re going to work on a number of things including defence, perhaps make some changes. Our next rivals have some big players, they made life difficult for Italy in their friendly last week.
”We have to be less nervous.”
Reflecting on his side’s stuttering performance, the Brazilian added: ”It wasn’t the result we expected but if you analyse the game carefully you will see that we played well.
”Sometimes you dominate the game without scoring.”
Everton playmaker Steven Pienaar, who only made a brief appearance as he recovered from an ankle problem, can be expected to play a more prominent role, which will add much-needed pace and guile to the midfield.
”Steven had four or five days without training so he wasn’t fully fit to play the 90 minutes.”
Santana knows his job depends on South Africa, who flopped at the 2007 Africa Cup of Nations and failed to qualify for next January’s edition in Angola, making it into the last four.
South Africa would be foolish to underestimate New Zealand, who on three occasions led world champions Italy before going down to a 4-3 defeat in a Confed Cup warm-up last week. – Sapa-dpa, AFP