/ 16 October 2009

Superstars book their place for next year

Bafana Bafana have not been the only culprits guilty of failing to build up hype for the World Cup in the past few months.

Bafana Bafana have not been the only culprits guilty of failing to build up hype for the World Cup in the past few months.

Fifa must have breathed a huge sigh of relief after Wednesday night’s round of qualifiers, which ensured that the tournament could again be marketed as a parade of the best football players in the world.

The appearance of the international stars — Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo and Zlatan Ibrahimovic — was in doubt after dismal national performances, rivalled only by Bafana Bafana.

The World Cup would not have been the same without players such as Messi, who is arguably the world’s best at the moment.
Argentina coach Diego Maradona, no less an attraction himself, finally got it right when he guided his troops to a vital 1-0 victory over Uruguay.

Local Organising Committee boss Danny Jordaan was evidently ecstatic at the developments.

”The World Cup would not be the same without the presence of Diego Maradona and the Argentinians. With their qualification fans will be able to watch one of the world’s most talented players in Lionel Messi,” he said in a statement.

It might be premature for Ronaldo to start booking his flight to South Africa, but Portugal made sure he can at least start to dream. They thumped a hapless Malta 4-0, without the Real Madrid forward, to book a place in the playoffs.

Ronaldo and company will fancy their chances of securing their ticket, as they will be one of the seeded teams in next Monday’s draw.

But Portugal’s victory put an end to the hopes of Ibrahimovic, as Sweden could finish only third, behind the Portuguese, despite a 4-1 massacre of Albania.

The big Barcelona hitman, who plays for Sweden, his national team, joins Manchester United’s Bulgarian striker Dimitar Berbatov and Croatia’s Luka Modric on the list of stars who will not be in South Africa next year.