Off the Pitch
Blog
2010 World Cup
Behind the scenes in South Africa with CBC's news crew
Last Updated: Monday, June 14, 2010 | 11:26 AM ET
CBC News
CBC's news crew is in South Africa for the 2010 FIFA World Cup. Read their stories from the streets of South Africa and the sidelines of the soccer pitches at the world's largest sporting event. Below you'll find a roundup of the blogs written by our reporters.
The roly-poly guy in the navy blue tracksuit
Argentina head coach Diego Maradona blows a kiss. (Martin Meissner/Associated Press) By David Gutnick
For the first time since I have been in Johannesburg, the ever-present honking of vuvuzelas has been drowned out. I think these obsessive fellows are singing something that is slightly off-colour:
Come on, come on, Argentina, come on, we will win in this noisy brothel.
There is a hush, and then even greater pandemonium. Continue reading this post >>
Ubuntu wheeling through the streets of Soweto
Students from a school for the disabled parade in the streets of Soweto. (David Gutnick/CBC)By David Gutnick
Pulang Motalung was going a little crazy. A hundred kids in wheelchairs were lined up next to one of Soweto's busiest streets and there was not a police car in sight.
"Whenever you do not want to see a traffic copper they pull you over," she said. "And when they are supposed to be here, you cannot find one." Continue reading this post >>
A kaput car and surprise rescue
The Orlando Pirates practice in Johannesburg. (David Michael Lamb/CBC)By David Michael Lamb
It happened en route to the training ground of the Orlando Pirates, one of the premier football clubs in South Africa. While on the highway, our car started to overheat. We pulled over, and our driver said there was no way we could keep going. We would have to wait for help, which could easily take an hour, meaning we’d miss the practice. Continue reading this post >>
FIFA fever
A street vendor with his unofficial flags and T-shirts. (CBC)By David Gutnick
"Flight 990 from Paris to Johannesburg is ready for boarding," is the announcement and 455 of us line up two by two, ready to board the world's largest passenger aircraft. Through the windows we see the Airbus 380. In French, Spanish, Italian, Portuguese, isiZulu, siXhosa and Afrikaans, FIFA fever is rampant as I overhear conversation after conversation about who will come out on top. Continue reading this post >>
Canada's World Cup 'team'
CBC Radio's World Report team. (CBC)By Carolyn Dunn
Greetings from Cape Town! For the next 5½ weeks, our CBC news crew will give Canadian readers, listeners and viewers a glimpse of what it is like to be here, during this historic, first FIFA World Cup held on African soil. Continue reading this post >>
