Fans Favour Brazil But the Gods Favour Italy

Using the 4 Ps of team success, all the 11 hottest countries for the cup were measured against these parameters and the results are startling!

One thing is certain – we are in for a World Cup of surprises.



Firstly, I want to express that the attached prediction table and the 4 Ps are entirely the imagination and creation of this writer.

The Prediction Table

1. Each column for Preparation, Power, Pedigree and Power carry a maximum weight of 10

2. Assumes that all the 11 teams have made excellent preparations hence the 10 full marks for all the teams

3. Assumes that all the 11 teams have team Power, that is, excellent cohesion and understanding amongst the players

4. Pedigree – This is based on the relative depth of World Cup experience of the teams. Teams without World Cup experience (like South Africa) automatically scored zero.

5. Providence / Invisible Hand of Fate – This is a critical factor that is outside the human control of the teams. This writer recognises the fact that providence, whether induced by experience, hard work or prayers is the major thin line between life’s successes and failures.

Providence may have been at play in Argentina’s first goal against England in the Mexico 1986 World Cup or in England’s Geoff Hurst’s second goal against Germany in the 1966 World Cup finals.

For the purpose of the Prediction Table, Providence was taken as a function of the teams’ World Cup experiences. Consequently, teams like Spain, Portugal, U.S.A and South Africa - that have either not won the World Cup or have not even yet played in the World Cup – were compensated were 5 marks each.

System of Numbers
Beneath the Prediction Table is the System of Numbers Table. The figures in the ‘Year Numerology’ column is the sum of the individual numbers in the ‘Year’ column. That is, Year 1930 = Year Numerology of 1+9+3+0 = 4

So, the ‘Year Numerology’ of Year 2010 = 2+0+1+0 = 3
Looking at the table closely, the only previous World Cup years with ‘Year Numerology’ of 3 are Years 1938 and 1974 which Italy and Germany respectively triumphed.

Italy, in particular, seems set for an encore as the country won it in a Year Numerology of 8 (1934) and successfully retained the Cup the next World Cup year (1938) with a Year numerology of 3!

Italy won it in 2006 with a Year Numerology of 8 and now, the next World Cup year of 2010 also has a Year Numerology of 3! Going by these game of numbers, Italy is strongly favoured by the gods to win and retain the World Cup.

Or, are all these mere coincidences? No, this writer does not think so. History has a sequential pattern of repeating itself – even though no country has successfully defended the World Cup since 1970. That is 30 good years ago. 30 = 3+0 = 3! That is some 40 years ago!

Now the year 1970 has a Year Numerology of 1+9+7+0 = 17 = 1+7 = 8.
Add 40 years to 8 = 48 = 4+8 = 12 = 1+2 = 3! Everything comes back to 3 again!

However, the only strong hand of providence for Brazil lies in the fact that, at least, in the last 16 years (1990 – 2006), Brazil has always won the cup when the hosting was outside the shores of Europe or South America. Brazil won in 1994 in U.S.A and in 2002 in South Korea / Japan.

If the Prediction Table is anything to go by, Brazil may have to eat humble pie and wait till 2014 to host and win. But, Year 2014 has a numerology of 7 which is only unique to Argentina. So, Argentina may likely win in Brazil 2014!

South Africa, backed by strong preparation and a vociferous home base support, is tipped by this writer to reach the last 8. Other African countries will not go beyond the 1st round ,or at most, the second round.

Meanwhile, as they say, ‘’let the games begin’’ and may Italy win again, says the gods.

South Africa 2010 And the Magic of the World Cup

The World Cup Fever is on, infecting billions of football fans on the planet! For 30 days, the world will focus their attention on South Africa, all because of the most beautiful game on earth – The World Cup.

What does South Africa have in store for the world and what really is the magic of the World Cup that drives the world mad with excitement (like Christmas come early)?



The 19th edition of the greatest tournament on earth – the World Cup – begins on June 11, 2010 in the 90,000 capacity Soccer City Stadium, Johannesburg, South Africa with the opening match at 1400hrs GMT between host, South Africa and Mexico. This edition of the FIFA World Cup is historic as it marks the first time ever in the 81 years of the competition that the competition is being staged in Africa, South Africa – the home country of another world ‘spectacle’ called Nelson Mandela, the Madiba.

Nelson Rolilahla Mandela himself is the greatest lover of football in South Africa and it can be recalled that it was during his reign as the first black president of South Africa that Bafana Bafana (meaning ‘’the boys, the boys’’), the South African National team, hosted and won the 20th Africa Nations Cup in 1996. In this sense, will history repeat itself? Can South Africa host to win the World Cup?

Magic of the World Cup
The World Cup is the most widely-viewed sporting event in the world. In the 2006 World Cup finals held in Germany, an estimated cumulative audience of 26.29 billion watched the tournaments on television. This figure surpassed the 2008 Beijing Olympics held two years later, which had a combined viewership of 24.47 billion. The 2006 world cup was covered by 376 channels with a total of 43,600 programmes broadcast to 214 countries.
For the 2010 World Cup in South Africa, FIFA will be earning $2.5billion (US dollars) from the sales of television rights alone, an increase of 50% over the 2006 World Cup. The rights are earned from the 200 countries affiliated to the world soccer governing body.
The competition also attracts the highest prize money in any human event. The sum of $420 million (US dollars) has been voted by FIFA for the 2010 finalists, with the cup winners expected to go home with more than $32 million (US dollars) and the second placed team $20 million (US dollars).

The secret behind the huge viewership and financial successes of football and the World Cup lies in the passion for the game. With super improvement in Information and Communications technology, football has correspondingly grown over the years to become the king of sports with mega marketing and sponsorship deals as a result of its huge worldwide followership. It is only in Football that fans dancing naked in celebration of their team’s victory and fans suffering heart attacks or even committing suicides whenever their favorite teams lose! The passion for the game is incomparable with any other sports or event.

South Africa 2010 Opening Ceremony
The opening ceremony in South Africa will definitely be another spectacle of its own with International Super stars like Alicia Keys, Shakira and Black Eyed Peas scheduled to perform to the world alongside South African stars like Progressive Rock Band BLK JKS, the Parlotones and singer-songwriter, Vusi Mahlasela.

Only Zakumi knows the Winner
Of the competing 32 countries, which one will lift the trophy on July 11, 2010 at the Soccer City Stadium? Will it be an African country – South Africa, Cameroon, Ivory Coast, Algeria, Ghana or Nigeria – for the first time ever, and justifiably so, on home soil?
Will Italy defy all odds and retain their title to match Brazil’s 5 times World Cup wins? Or, will it be Brazil again yet again for a record breaking 6th World Cup win? Or, is it going to be Lionel Messi’s Argentina to win it for the 3rd time? Diego Maradona, Argentina’s football legend and team coach, has promised to run naked in the Soccer City Stadium if Argentina wins the World Cup on July 11, 2010! That will indeed be the day!Or, will it be Wayne Rooney’s England to win it for the 2nd time since winning the trophy 44 years ago on home soil?
Or, is it going to be the vastly improved U.S.A to win it for the first time ever?
In football parlance, football is like biscuit; nobody knows where it will break (nobody, except Zakumi).

Yes, only Zakumi, the 15 year old anthropomorphised leopard with green hair and official mascot of the South Africa 2010 World Cup, unveiled to the world on September 22, 2008 already knows the winners of the World Cup. Ask him and he will tell you with a grin.
Zakumi’s answer is the same for everyone: ‘’Welcome to South Africa 2010!’’

South Africa 2010: The 11 Hottest Countries For the Cup

As the battle for soccer’s pre-eminent glory commences on Friday, June 11, 2010 only 11 countries from the 32 football titans have the potential of winning the World Cup and also the $31m prize money that goes with it.

Which are these hottest countries and the unique winning factors common to them?







1. Brazil
As always, the Samba Boys of Brazil are the pre – tournament favorites and 2 out of every 5 football fans will swear that Brazil will win the gold cup. Indeed, Brazil has very intimidating World Cup pedigree: the only country ever to have taken part in all the previous 18 editions of the World Cup and with an all – time record of 64 wins, 14 draws and 14 defeats to show for it.

Brazil has won the World Cup for a record 5 times and in 1970, Brazil became the first and only country till date allowed by FIFA to keep the 1st FIFA World Cup – the Jules Rimet Trophy – for life.

Brazil is currently rated number one in the latest FIFA rankings released on May 26, 2010 and their team coach, Carlos Caetano Bledorn Verri ‘’Dunga’’ who, as captain in 1994 won the World Cup in U.S.A, believes Brazil will win the cup in South Africa for a record 6 times. The Brazilian team is awash with stars: from Kaka (voted the 2007 World Best Footballer) to Robinho, Maicom, Kleberson, Nilmar, Luis Fabiano to Lucio, the squad is every football coach’s dream team.

2. Spain
Spain is currently the 2nd best football country in the world, behind the mythical Brazil according to the FIFA rankings of May 26, 2010. They are the current European Champions and its football armory can boast of world class players like David Villa, Xabi, Cesc Fabregas, Iniesta and Fernando Torres, a lethal striker with renowned scoring prowess.

Spain had a 100% record winning all of their 10 qualifying matches for the World Cup. The country has also taken part in 12 previous editions of the FIFA World Cup and they were 4th in Brazil 1950 which is their best performance till date.

3. Portugal
South Africa 2010 will be Portugal’s 5th FIFA World Cup appearance and they occupy the 3rd place in the current FIFA rankings. Their best achievement in the World Cup was 3rd place at England 1966, a feat achieved with their legendary player, Eusebio proclaimed the best player of the tournament.

The current Portuguese national team has a surfeit of stars like Cristiano Ronaldo (the 2008 World Best Footballer), Pepe and Deco and it is expected that Portugal will break their perennial World Cup underachievement jinx this time around.

4. Netherlands (Holland)
Holland twice reached the World Cup finals in 1974 and 1978, but lost on both occasions to Germany and Argentina respectively. Like Portugal and Spain, they are also looked upon as underachievers who fail to triumph when it matters most.

However, the orange boys under their new coach, Bert Van Marwijk, had a good World Cup qualifying campaign and are currently ranked 4th best team in the world.

5. Italy
The Azuris are the defending champions having won Germany 2006 by defeating France 5 – 4 on penalties after a grueling 120 minutes 1 – 1 score line. After Brazil, they the 2nd best achievement at World Cup having qualified for 17 of the 19 editions and have won the World Cup 4 times (1934, 1938, 1982 and 2006).

Stars in the formidable Italian squad include Fabio Cannavaro, Buffon, Gilardino and Battuso. Marcello Lippi, Italy’s coach, is confident that the team is the best in the world and will win the World Cup for the 5th time to match Brazil’s record.

Italy is rated 5th best in the World in the FIFA rankings.

6. Germany
Germany has a strong World Cup pedigree having won the cup three times – 1954, 1974 and 1990 – 17 World Cup appearances. Famous stars to watch include Miroslav Klose, Pudolski and Phillip Lahm.

They will sorely miss their star midfielder and captain, Michael Ballack, due to injury, but he has been replaced by an equally talented player, Bastian Schweinsteiger.

Germany occupies the 6th position in the FIFA rankings.

7. Argentina
Argentina is currently the 7th best football country in the world according to the current FIFA rankings. They are two-time champions of the World Cup having won in 1978 and 1986. Argentina is perhaps the most star-studded team in South Africa particularly with the awesome presence of Lionel Messi, the current World Best Footballer.

Messi is also currently Europe’s leading scorer with 47 goals in all club competitions. Other stars to watch in the Argentine soccer war chest include Diego Milito, Sergio Aguero and Carlos Tevez.

8. England
England is the World’s 8th best football playing country as released by FIFA in their current World rankings of May 26, 2010.

England has featured in the previous eleven World Cup editions including their debut at Brazil 1950. They won the World Cup in their backyard in 1966 at Wembley Stadium and that has been their best performance till date.

However, in qualifying for South Africa 2010, they won 9 of their matches scoring 34 goals in the process. They are thus poised to go all the way to win the big one – the trophy – especially with their array of stars like Wayne Rooney, Steven Gerald, Fredrick Lampard and John Terry under the able guidance of Fabio Capello, the team coach.

9. France
Le Bleus as the French National team is called have appeared in 12 World Cups, winning on home soil in 1998. Although their qualification for South Africa was difficult (and no thanks to another ‘’hand of God’’ incident by Thierry Henry in their play-off with Ireland), they have players with World Cup experience and this can just turn the table in their in South Africa 2010 for the 2nd time.

France is currently ranked 9th in the world by FIFA.

10. United States of Africa (U.S.A)
United States of America also has a relatively slim chance of springing a surprise at South Africa 2010. The team came tops in their World Cup qualifying group of North, Central America and Caribbeans . U.S.A was also second at the FIFA Confederation Cup held in South Africa last year and had in fact led almighty Brazil in the final by 2 – 0 before Brazil leveled up and went on to win by 3 – 2!

South Africa 2010 will be the United States’ 6th consecutive appearance at the World Cup and they are currently ranked 14th in the world.

11. South Africa
South Africa, the host nation, is Africa’s best prepared team for the competition, having played more friendly matches than any other African team. They recently defeated Denmark 1 – 0 to add to their increasing tally of victories in friendly matches.
Only Cameroon (at Italia ’90) and Senegal (at Korea/Japan 2002) have ever reached the World Cup Quarter-finals - the best achievement by any African side.

In the latest FIFA rankings of May 26, 2010 – the last ranking before the World Cup on June 11, 2010 – South Africa was the only country out of 208 listed countries in the ranking to achieve the highest movement of 7 places from 90th position to 83rd position.

This writer tips South Africa - well ahead of Cote D’Ivoire (currently touted as Africa’s World Cup hope and ranked 27th in the FIFA rankings), Cameroon (currently ranked 19th in the world), Ghana (currently ranked 32nd in the world), Nigeria (currently ranked 29th in the world) and Algeria (currently ranked 30th in the World) – to, at least, equal the quarter-finals record of Cameroon and Senegal.

Egypt, the king of African football and winners of the African Cup of Nations for a record 6 times – including the last 3 editions which they won consecutively – sadly failed to qualify for South Africa 2010. They lost 0 – 1 to Algeria in a tension-soaked play-off in Sudan. Egypt is the only African team in the top 15 of the FIFA rankings and, perhaps, if they had qualified, they could have won the World Cup for Africa for the first time, but this is not to be for now.

So, which one of these 11 hottest countries will lift the World Cup on July 11, 2010?

The next and last article on South Africa 2010 by this writer will take the bulls by the horn by using the 4 Ps for World Cup success – Preparation, (team)Power, Pedigree and Providence – to predict the most likely winner of the South Africa 2010 FIFA World Cup.

6 Ways That Hypertensive Fans Can Watch and Enjoy the World Cup

On the flip side, the palpable excitement that the World Cup provokes usually results in health casualties, especially amongst the hypertensive fans ,and at times, with some fatal consequences.

But the fact is, there need not be any such incidence at all if the following preventive measures can be strictly adhered to by hypertensive fans.



1.Avoid taking stimulants to stay awake
Depending on your country’s time zone, you may end up watching the World Cup live late at night. Therefore, as an hypertensive patient and fan of the beautiful game, the first thing you want to avoid is taking stimulants (e.g. Coffee, Caffeine derivatives). These will only aggravate your hypertension!

Instead you can set your bedside alarm clock to wake you up or ask your darling wife or neighbor to kindly wake you up at the time.

2.Avoid the impulse of crowd effects
Do not watch the matches in social or public places (e.g. pubs, restaurants, viewing centers) where people talk carelessly, smoke and drink alcohol.

Careless Comments: Here, nobody knows who you are talk less of your health condition hence they will freely pass comments on your favorite teams and players and these may not sit well with you. In such places, nothing adds more to the World Cup fun than the sight of a worked-up fan!

To them, it’s all fun; but to you, it could mean something else, something that could be fatal. Watch it – avoid such places!

Smoking: Although there are few public places that allow smoking these days, nonetheless, always remember that active or passive smoking is very dangerous for your hypertension. For your own good, avoid such places.

Boozing: The World Cup is probably the best time for breweries and beer parlors as record sales are made at this time – at the expense of people’s health. But who cares? For you as an hypertensive fan, watching the World Cup in public places where alcohol is served can tempt you to join the crowd. You certainly don’t want to be left out of all the excitement, free-for-alls, raucous laughters and laissez-faire going on!

What to do? Run for your dear life, avoid such places like a plague.

3.Enjoy the World Cup with your loved ones
For you, the best and safe way to enjoy the World Cup is from the cosy comfort of your home with your loved ones or pet by your side. So you get to avoid all the beer talks, funny comments, smoking and drinking of the other places.

Besides, your loved ones know your health condition and will not do anything to jeopardize it. Instead they will be the ones to caution you from over celebrating or getting angry because Lionel Messi or Wayne Rooney just missed a clear goal!

4.Avoid watching penalty shoot-outs
For the hypertensive fan, watching live penalty shoot-outs on television is akin to feeding an earthworm with salt. Most of the incidences of fatal cardiac arrests during World Cup matches come from watching the dreaded penalties.

Penalty shoot-out is like the toss of a coin, a pure game of luck for which any team can win. Roberto Baggio and Diego Maradona, two legends of the game, have been known to miss penalty kicks with devastating health consequences on their fans worldwide! In fact, like passive smoking, it has been said that the health effects of watching penalties on fans on such big occasions is more dangerous than on the players taking the penalties. Even fans with clean bill of health have developed hypertension from watching live penalties.

So, when any of the 2010 World Cup matches is to be decided by penalties (after 120 minutes draw situation), your best bet as a hypertensive fan is to switch off the T.V and radio. Go to sleep whilst praying that mother luck shines on your team.

Safely, the next day (when all tension must have gone),you can ask your neighbor or colleague in the office for the result or read it in the newspaper yourself. PLEASE NEVER EVER WATCH LIVE PENALTIES IN YOUR CONDITION DURING THE WORLD CUP.

5.Avoid over celebration of goals
Even in your state of inertia, your blood pressure is already high, knocking hard on the walls of your arteries and wanting to break them apart! If this is the case, can you then afford any more physical exertion of energy?

Oh dear, you certainly do not need to dance naked on the streets or jump on the roof of a moving vehicle screaming and hooting in wild celebration of your team’s victory! For you and other hypertensive fans out there, please do not over celebrate only to wake up in the morgue the next day!

6.Remember to maintain your diet and your next appointment with your doctor
Do not be carried away by all the felicitations and excitements that comes with the World Cup to the extent of throwing caution to the wind on your diet and appointments with your physician. Very Important – Never ever sacrifice an appointment date with your physician for a World Cup match.

Your doctor’s appointments have been carefully timed with your drug usage and any miss of a check-up appointment will have deleterious effect on your health, sooner than later. Instead, if you must, you can use the remaining one week before June 10, 2010 to consult your doctor and request for a possible change of appointment date (in the event that the previous date is clashing with your team’s World Cup Match date).



The World Cup is a period of great fun and excitement, no doubt. It comes once in four years. However, always remember that it is just for 30 days and so, your life needs not end with it, at least, for the sake of your loved ones who will miss you so dearly.

Your health should therefore come first in all circumstances! Never compromise your health for anything, please. For the hypertensive fan, your motto should be: Stay Healthy, Watch Safely as advised and live longer (to watch many, many, more World Cups).

One World in One Cup

A poem in honor of the World Cup, a time when we set aside all the vicissitudes and differences of life on Earth to enjoy the world cup.

There is therefore the potential that we can live in peace on earth even beyond the World Cup. One indivisible world, just like the cup itself.



The time is nigh
The passion tide is high
Date is June 11, 2010
The place of war is South Africa
A place of peace; the land of the 91 years old Madiba

For 30 days,
The universe will live in one cup.
30 days of pride and humility
30 days of fortune and misfortune
30 days of sun and rain
One world in one cup!

Winners aloft with joy,
Losers aloft with sadness.
Winners and fans drenched in the sun,
Losers and their shadows alone drenched in the rain.
One world in one cup!

30 days sans bombs and explosions
30 days sans volcanic eruptions
But, 30 days of (possible)earthquakes –
A Nigeria beating Argentina,
A Cote D’Ivoire beating Brazil,
Or, U.S.A winning the World Cup!
One World in One Cup!

Round and round is the world
Just like the foolish round leather
Kicked around by 32 knights of war
An icon of life and death
So mysterious, it evokes joy and sadness
When caught by the enemy’s net
One world in one cup!

Time to let go of war
Time to let go of politics
Time to let go of religion
Time to let go of diseases and sicknesses
The beautiful game is here
It is the healing time
One world in one cup!

The battle of 32 knights
And only 1 will survive
31 flags to be lowered
All Joyful in humiliating pride –
Like masked brides given to the bridegroom.
Fair by providence or fair by talent?
One world in a cup!

Which of the 32 knights will hold the world aloft on July 11, 2010?
Not by the might of the gods we see –
The Messis, The Christain Ronaldos, The Ronaldinhos,
No, not by their famous prowess
But by providence, the true hand of God
Who made the world for eternal peace
Beyond the World Cup
One world in one cup!

It is just a tick away
For the world to become one,
So perfect, so Indivisible
Like the eternal, pure gold- game sought by the 32 knights of war,
The immortal creation of Silvio Gazzaniga.
That the game of life is a World Cup,
No victor; no vanquished
Then and only then can peace reign in the world
One world in one cup!