Bafana to play Mexico in opening WC match
Bafana to play Mexico in opening WC match

Posted in News on Dec 05, 2009.

Bafana Bafana will play against Mexico in the opening in Group A of the 2010 World Cup finals which kick-off on June 11 at the new multi-billion rand Soccer City stadium after the draw which was made at the International Convention Centre on Friday night.



Click here for the full fixtures.



Also in Bafana's group are 1934 World Cup winners Uruguay and

France, the 1998 World Champions.



The draw was conducted by Fifa secretary general Jerome Valcke

and South African Hollywood movie star Charlize Theron. A total of

2000 invited guests and 800 local and international journalists

attended the glittering event watched by an estimated live

television audience of 200 million viewers.



Said Benoni born Theron: "I stand here tonight as a very proud

South African." She said she was a soccer fan and added: "I have

bought my tickets already and would not miss the World Cup for

anything."



The presenters were assisted on stage by a star-studded line-up

of sports celebrities which included England soccer star David

Beckham, one of only a few players to score in three consecutive

World Cups, Haile Gebrselassie (Ethiopia), two-time Olympic gold

medallist and nine-time athletics world champion, Protea fast

bowler Makhaya Ntini, the first black player in the South African

cricket team, John Smit, the captain of rugby world champions South

Africa, and Bafana player Matthew Booth.



President of the Republic of South Africa, Jacob Zuma, and Fifa

president Sepp Blatter welcomed the audience at the beginning of

the 90-minute live show.



Guests included Issa Hayatou, chairman of the World Cup

organising committee, Nobel peace prize winners FW de Klerk and

Archbishop Desmond Tutu, as well as former football icons Franz

Beckenbauer, Michel Platini, Eusebio and Roger Milla.



The majority of the 32 coaches of the teams who qualified for

the 2010 showpiece were at the draw. Former South African president

and Nobel peace prize winner Nelson Mandela, 91, addressed the

audience by video message.



Madiba, who did much to secure the 2010 World Cup for South

Africa, said: "This is the first time that the World Cup will be

played in South Africa.



We feel privileged and humbled. We must

strive for excellence and reap the rewards of the World Cup. Ke

Nako - It is time," said Madiba.

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