SmallShop....Africa News

South Africa's Catholic faithful were encouraged not to despair for their national football team on Sunday as they prayed for a crucial victory in the 2010 World Cup. Related articles by Zemanta World Cup braces for possible early S.Africa exit (seattletimes.nwsource.com)

SOWETO, South Africa, 18 June 2010 -- As the most-watched sports event worldwide, the FIFA World Cup 2010 is expected to attract more than a billion television viewers around the world. Across the host country, South Africa, fan parks known as FIFA 'Fan Fests' have set up huge TV screens and stages for live entertainment. An estimated half a million visitors and hundreds of thousands of local South Africans are watching matches in these public spaces. Aside from live TV matches and entertainment, a number of the Fan Fests also feature 'child-friendly spaces' -- places where children can play and get help if they are ever separated from their families, exposed to violence or abused. Related articles by Zemanta FIFA making enemies at World Cup in South Africa (philly.com)

Football is historically popular with black South Africans , with whites preferring cricket and rugby. Back in 1995 when South Africa won the Rugby Union World Cup on home soil, the nation was briefly united in victory. Fifteen years on, can the football World Cup achieve something more lasting? Al Jazeera's Jonah Hull reports on the start of the 2010 Fifa World Cup in South Africa as the country still battles to fulfil Nelson Mandela 's dream of racial equality . Al Jazeera's Jonah Hull reports. Related articles by Zemanta Is the World Cup Bad for South Africa? (blogs.hbr.org) Tutu Says WCup to Outstrip Famed Rugby Win (nytimes.com) Alethea Gold Uses World Cup To Help South African Children (huffingtonpost.com)

All eyes are on South Africa as it prepares to host the 2010 World Cup and the country wants to show that it is ready for the football event. The government is set to deploy additional 40,000policemen to help bring security to one of the most dangerous countries in the world. But as Haru Mutasa reports from Johannesburg , some think this World Cup could be marred by an increasing level of violence. Related articles by Zemanta South Africa in World Cup migrant crackdown (africa.smallshop.com) South Africa's poor feel swept away.... (africa.smallshop.com) World Cup fever sweeping across South Africa (cbc.ca) South Africans celebrate before World Cup opener (seattletimes.nwsource.com) World Cup 2010: Journalist robbed at gunpoint in South Africa hotel (guardian.co.uk)