Cell C and Nike now offer aspiring footballers interactive training drills and expert coaching from international football teams and players at their fingertips enabling them to become better footballers.

Cell C and leading global sports brand, Nike, today announced a partnership to offer a unique cellular product to the South African market.  Through cellular technology, South Africa’s football players and fans will have access to the very latest in football training philosophy and techniques, enabling aspiring footballers in particular with the potential to dramatically improve their game.

The Cell C Nike Football + starter pack, launching on 21 March, opens access to Nike Football+, a digital coaching programme to help players improve their skills with insights and instruction from top players and coaches, including Arsenal’s Cesc Fabregas, Andres Iniesta of Barcelona, Liverpool star Fernando Torres and leading Italian club Juventus FC.

Every starter pack comes with a unique user-code that further allows mobile users access to exclusive downloads and Nike events, as well as a free DVD containing substantial and exclusive content created by Nike in conjunction with some of the world’s leading coaches and players.

“Nike Football + is our unrivalled global digital training programme currently available via web or iPhone application, but in partnering with Cell C to offer the programme on a cellular platform, we are making it easily accessible to South Africans, especially those who have limited or no access to internet other than through cellular telephony,” commented Mzamo Masito, Brand Director, Nike.  “This partnership could make a very big contribution to talented local footballers who have the potential to become household names, but who haven’t been exposed to contemporary training methods and coaching.”

Other benefits to the starter pack include exclusive access to the Cell C Locker Room on the Mxit platform.  Not only will Cell C subscribers receive 500 free Mxit Moola, but they will also be able to access Nike Football+ Experiences e.g. exclusive training sessions with leading local football coaches, by amassing points through an easy to follow points acquisition system.

Local Premier Soccer League and English Premier League updates will also be available to subscribers, offering club news, kick-off notifications, live match updates, goal alerts and half and full-time scores.

“This partnership is indicative of our mission to provide value to our customers,” commented Simon Camerer, Executive Head of Marketing for Cell C.  “This is a truly world-class product and demonstrates the power of cellular telephony when innovatively applied.”

In December 2009, Cell C announced its plans to roll out the most advanced network infrastructure in South Africa, characterized by speeds of up to 21Mbps.

The Cell C Nike Football+ starter pack retails at R3.99, and is available nationwide.

The official beginning of the 2010 soccer world cup kicks off this Friday (4 December 2009) with the Final Draw, being held at the Cape Town International Convention Centre. Before, during and after the group draw at 7pm, festivities will be held on Long Street in Cape Town, where more than 15 000 people are expected to celebrate with music and fanfare.

Please note that Long Street and the adjoining streets would be closed to traffic and transformed into a pedestrian zone from Wale Street to the Long Street baths for the day.

Local artists including Freshlyground, Jimmy Dludlu and TKZee are expected to entertain party-goers.

If you are free this weekend why not head on over to Long Street this Saturday and partake in the World Cup 2010 Draw festivities.

For those of you that watched the rugby match between France and the South African Springboks, would remember the rastafarian guy that sang the South African National Anthem. Ras Dumisani the guy that sang the National Anthem at Fridays clash between the Springboks and France really screwed it up.

If you did not catch it here it is.

Apparently Ras Dumisani was chosen by the South African Embassy in France to sing the South African National Anthem “NKosi Sikelel’ iAfrica”. All I can say is that for one that Ras Dumisani is not proudly South African and he really did screw up the song big time. For an experienced Springbok side the way the National Anthem was sung doesn’t portray it well.

I really hope that in the future these kind of humility can be avoided, as I feel very humiliated to be South African by the way this guy sang our National Anthem.

Ras Dumisani apparently apologised blaming his bad performance on a old microphone and monitor.

A football fan who wanted a beautiful grin to match the beautiful game brushed his teeth at Stamford Bridge as he watched Chelsea beat Manchester United.

The supporter was caught on film cleaning his pearly whites during the Barclays Premier League game and the clip was promptly posted on video-sharing website YouTube.
Within hours more than 1,000 people had viewed the bizarre entry, which was posted by several different users.

If you checked out the Wester Province vs Blue Bulls game this weekend at Newland there is one moment that would jump to mind and it is that of the tackle WP Flanker Schalk Burger made on Blue Bulls player Fourie Du Preez.

WP lost by only one point after replacement player Nakelavuki made a high tackle and cost the Wester Province a penalty in the last 5 minutes of the game. Im sure Western Province coach Alistar Coetzee regrets putting Nakelavuki on.

For your enjoyment, the great tackle performed by Schalk Burger on Fourie Du Preez.

Got to love the wink at the end. Well done WP, I am proud to be a supporter.

Capetionians can look forward to some great kite flying and kite designs this weekend at the 15th International Kite Festival to be held in Muizenberg, Cape Town.

Many kite creations will fill the skies of Muizenberg the 10th and 11th of October at the 15th Cape Town International Kite Festival, organised by Cape Mental Health in association with Heart FM 104.9.

The Cape Town International Kite Festival is Africa’s largest kite festival drawing kiters from all over the word like USA, England and some of the best local talent. The festival will kick off on the 10th of October coincided with World Mental Health Day. The theme for this years Cape Town International Kite Festival is “The world on a string”, which will showcase the best each country has to offer.

If you are a kite enthusiast why not bring along your kite, or try your hand at building a kite at the kite-making workshops, otherwise just enjoy the spectacular display of wonderfull masterpieces flying about the sky.

The whole family is welcome to join in the fun as the Cape Town International Kite Festival has made provision for the whole family. Food stalls, giant inflateables, kiddies rides, just to mention a few is family entertainment at its best.

Entry to the Kite Festival is R10 for adults and R5 for children, with all profits going towards the work of Cape Mental Health. The Cape Town International Kite Festival will be open from 10:00 to 18:00 each day and takes place at Zandvlei, Muizenberg.

For more information visit www.capementalhealth.co.za

Cape Town was yesterday officially apointed as the venue where the 2010 Soccer World Cup final draw – at which all the qualifying soccer teams will be allotted into groups – will take place.

The week-long event will culminate in a draw on December 4 at which the 32 participating teams will be divided into eight groups and is the last milestone before the tournament kicks off next year.

The draw is expected to attract more than 2000 guests, including all the qualifying teams’ coaches and captains, and will be held at the city’s Green Point Stadium, which is still under construction. Cape Town mayor Dan Plato said construction was on track and the stadium would be completed in time for the draw.

To date, 800000 of the 3,2-million World Cup tickets have been sold, with 240000 snapped up by South Africans, 57000 sold in the US and 27000 in Australia. Not many tickets have been sold in the rest of Africa, although Ghana is an exception.

Another concern among Cape Town residents was whether the R4,5bn Green Point Stadium would be viable after the World Cup, especially after the Western Province Rugby Union indicated that it was not interested in trading Newlands for the new stadium.

[via BusinessDay]

Great news for those Rugby lovers out there, Cape Town Tourism is giving away 4 pairs of rugby tickets for the WP vs Free State game this Friday 24 July 2009 at Newlands Rugby Stadium.

To enter simply send an email to fb@capetown.travel telling them what your favourite thing in Cape Town is, thats all it takes.

Good luck

Hey guys and gals, just a friendly reminder that the Currie Cup is kicking off this weekend. Western Province will be playing the Durban Sharks on Saturday on Newlands, so why not go check out the game.

Computicket, with its new revamped site, are selling tickets for R50.00 a pop no matter where in the stadium, also remembers to go early to newlands for the pre game braai on the school fields.

Good luck to the WP players and hope to see you there.

WP jou lekker ding!

Fancy winning a case of beer and a Butlers pizza? Then head on over to 2Oceansvibe where Seth Rotherman is giving it away to the person predicting the closest correct score for this weekends game between the Bokke and the Lions.

For more info go check out this post.