Football Partnerships

FIFA does not expect the global television audience for next year’s World Cup in South Africa to increase, football’s world governing body said yesterday.

Niclas Ericson, FIFA’s television chief, said that the cumulative global audience for the 2006 event was 26.3 billion, a figure which should also be achieved for the South Africa tournament.

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By ZWELI MOKGATA

Public broadcasters announced the launch of their digital signal yesterday, but viewers will have to wait some months before they can tune in.

Yesterday broadcasters including the SABC, e.tv and M-Net began technical trials of digital terrestrial television (DTT).

The new technology was a pre- requisite for South Africa being awarded the 2010 Fifa Soccer World Cup hosting rights.

An estimated eight new video channels can be provided on one analogue channel allowing for other interactive services.

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By Ato Aidoo

Information trickling in from Accra, Ghana, is irritating many Africans in the Diaspora as the country’s Football Association maintains an incredible imprint as one of the most wasteful, and yet uncompromising administrative set-ups in Africa soccer.

In the West-African country, local coaches (though underpaid) continue to guide youth soccer programs, but not at the highest level. Failed policies of Ghana’s FA, led by Kwesi Nyantakyie, have reached record high without any serious intervention in sight; while some ministers of state have become part of these administrative lapses.

No individual is perfect; we just have to fix these FA blues.

In the wake of all these, a comment is obvious, especially when it relates to salary distortions and the assistant coach of the Black Stars - Kwesi Appiah, who is now under fire for making a well-deserved salary request- $6,000 a month, and other benefits. Appiah is a former captain of Ghana’s national soccer team.

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Johannesburg - Gauteng residents, soccer fanatics and the global football industry had better get ready for the biggest soccer event this country has seen to date - as well as the arrival of David Beckham. This year’s three-day Soccerex conference, the biggest business-to-business soccer exhibition, will take place at the Sandton Convention Centre between 24 and 26 November 2008, reports the Gauteng Provincial Government.

World-famous soccer superstar, David Beckham is expected to give an address on managing the biggest world brand in football on the conference’s second day.

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