The sports complex of the University of Pretoria was a hive of activity this morning as parents, media and Danone Nations Cup staff got ready for the first day of the international Danone Nations Cup World Final. This is the first time the event has taken place outside France, but visitors could be forgiven for thinking they were attending a world class event - made possible by the meticulous planning of the organisational team.
“This event has been superbly organised,” said coach of Sinenzuzo Primary School who are representing South Africa, Ayanda Mkhize as they warmed up for their first game against Germany.
This year’s nations cup is two tournaments in one. The international stages of the 2009 and 2010 tournaments are taking place side-by-side this year because last year’s tournament had to be postponed due to the H1N1 virus. Participants of last year’s competition are a year older than the competition’s official age group, but the DNC organising committee rectified this problem by making the 2009 tournament an u/13 event.
Here is how it works: Teams play on a half-sized pitch for 15 minutes without changing sides (as per FIFA youth rules). Matches today and tomorrow will determine the preliminary rankings, and the top 20 teams will proceed to the knockout stages of the tournament. Every team will get the opportunity to play a 10-minutes-a-side game at Orlando stadium on Sunday to finalise the rankings, and both 2009 and 2010 top teams will be announced on the day.
In this morning’s action, the South African team narrowly lost 3-2 to Germany on penalties. School principal Phumelele Nxcele of Sinenzuzo primary was on the bench with her vuvuzela. “It doesn’t matter if they [South Africa] win or lose; this competition is about much more than that,” she says. “It is really great to see kids from all over the world interacting with each other in this way. They are going to do gumboot dancing later - maybe I can show them the moves,” she laughs.
Sofia Shiimi, chaperone to the French team, was very impressed with the high level of sportsmanship displayed by the young players. “I can’t believe these players are all under twelve - they play soccer like adults!”. Although France lost their first game 2-0 to the Austrian team, coach Lionel Vaillant was upbeat. “The conditions in South Africa are very different to those in France. I think our team is still a little tired from the intense travelling, but I do not doubt that their performance is going to be excellent,” he says. “One thing is for sure - the sun is much hotter here than back at home.”
The Japanese team impressed many with their humility off the field, but also with their amazing ball skills when they clobbered the English team 2-0. Coach Yasushi Takasaki did not seem surprised with his team’s win. “We have prepared very well for the Danone Nations Cup, and I am happy with the team’s first result,” he says. “The conditions here are not very different from what we are used to in Japan. The sun here is fantastic.”
The Russians, who have an impressive history in this tournament, did not get off to a good start this morning (losing 3 of their 4 games), but were upbeat: “We are having a wonderful time and we are really enjoying the weather,” said one of the players. “This past summer the temperature in Russia was over 45 degrees a lot of the time so we are used to such heat. We are also looking forward to painting our pots and planting a garden this afternoon and they say we are also doing some gum boot dancing, which we have never heard of but it sounds fun.”
As the action unfolds under the hot African sun, the 40 teams in the tournaments up their game to try and get as many points as possible for a better ranking. Both participants and spectators are in high spirits; and if this sets the tone for the rest of the Danone Nations Cup in South Africa, this weekend is going to be a very exciting one…
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