Slide Tackle - World Cup curiosities
June 11th, 2010 - 10:35 pm ICT by IANSJohannesburg, June 11 (DPA) The coach of Denmark’s national football team, Morten Olsen, is unworried about ear-splitting noise from vuvuzelas - plastic trumpets - popular with South African spectators at World Cup matches.
“It means nothing at all to me. I’ll just pull out the plugs of my two hearing aids,” Friday’s edition of the Danish newspaper Politiken quoted him as saying.
Olsen, 60, has suffered from otosclerosis, an abnormal bone growth in the middle ear that causes hearing loss, since the 1970s. The condition was a hindrance for Olsen when he was an active player - he won 102 international caps - but now he advertises digital hearing aids in Denmark.
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HEAVY TRAFFIC: As was to be expected, traffic leading to Soccer City stadium Friday was horrendous.
Some people spent three hours on a journey that normally would have taken them no more than 30 minutes. They were not the only ones to be “slightly” delayed. The team bus carrying Bafana Bafana also got stuck in traffic.
Players and fans arrived at the stadium on time, however, and the game kicked off on schedule.
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MORE IS MERRIER: World Cup organisers seem to have found a new way to make sure of filling seats: just issue the same ticket more than once.
Some unfortunate journalists at the opening match Friday found fans with authentic tickets already sitting in their seats.
The matter was sorted out, though, and the fans were able to enjoy the game while the journalists did their work.
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TIPP KICK: A special African edition of the popular Tipp Kick football game with metal players has been an instant success.
Managing director Mathias Mieg said the 5,000 games had taken just a few days to sell out and that there would not be a second edition.
The special edition featured a savannah-like playing field with barriers resembling animal skins. Looking at the regular product line, Mieg said that Germany and Switzerland sold best of the 32
World Cup teams, and North Korea worst.
Tipp Kick sells up to 50,000 games in a normal year, a figure that rises to 80,000 in World Cup
years.
- Denmark extends coach's contract till FIFA World Cup 2014 - Nov 01, 2011
- Euro 2012: Memory of 1992 motivates Denmark - Jun 01, 2012
- Thousands greet S. African squad on arrival in Jo'burg - Jun 10, 2010
- Denmark hopes to avoid Brazil, Spain in World Cup draw - Dec 02, 2009
- Denmark still sweating on Bendtner's fitness - Jun 19, 2010
- Star striker Bendtner doubtful for Danish opener - Jun 11, 2010
- Denmark defeat Sweden 2-0 in football friendly - Nov 12, 2011
- Euphoric World Cup opening tinged with Mandela tragedy - Jun 11, 2010
- Denmark need top health in tough group (Group E profile) - May 30, 2010
- 2010 World Cup kicks off Friday in South Africa - Jun 11, 2010
- FIFA investigators in SA to probe match fixing - Mar 02, 2012
- Ghana to provide bonuses for African Cup title - Jan 11, 2012
- WTA Copenhagen to retain hard court surface: Organisers - Jan 02, 2012
- Euro 2012: Danish footballers banned from using social media - Apr 25, 2012
- Pride and Precipice: Contrasting matches in Group E - Jun 23, 2010
Tags: abnormal bone growth, animal skins, digital hearing aids, football game, hearing aids, hearing loss, heavy traffic, hindrance, instant success, international caps, mathias, middle ear, morten olsen, national football team, soccer city, spectators, spent three, team bus, tipp kick, world cup teams