SOUTH AFRICA AND MEXICO EMERGE AS DANONE NATIONS CUP CHAMPIONS

It was a grand finale to the Danone Nations Cup World Cup final at the Orlando Stadium in Soweto today when South Africa were crowned the 2009 and Mexico the 2010 champions of this, the biggest tournament for kids in the world.

Throngs of people turned up early to watch the final day of play and the sounds of vuvuzela’s reverberated throughout the stadium.  The thousands of kids that arrived immediately went to have some fun in the Danone activation area where they played mini soccer, had a turn on the jumping castles rode, tried their luck on the rodeo bull and watched the live entertainment put on by sponsors – Danone, Canon, Edgars, Jozi FM, Adidas and others.

But the focus was on the field of play as the 1 120 kids fought for final placings.  The 2009 Danone Nations Cup Finals were played first with Australian and Bangladesh kicking off for 39 and 40 placings at 8.30am.

In the spirit of the pillars that the Danone Nations Cup is build upon, which are openness, fair play, accessibility and passion, there were no red or yellow cards given.

There is no doubt that one of the key games played in the 2009 edition was between Egypt and France, the reigning champions.  France scored early in the game and held on to their score advantage leaving little room for the North African team to move.  Although the champions (who have won the tournament twice before in 2000 and 2008) won the game, this gave them 19th position and Egypt in 20th position.

Then there was the game between Canada and Russia which was a fast moving and skilled game.  It was of no surprise when Canada (who seem to have a flair for scoring) hit the back of the net first, but the Russians came back and equalised.  One might have thought that having two women in the team might hold them back, but this was not the case and the girls showed their counterpart that they are no pushovers.

Canada finally won 3 – 2 to put them in 17th position and Russia  in 18th position.

When South Africa took to the field to compete in the final, the home fans, who were all dressed in yellow to spur on their team, were singing and blowing the vuvuzela’s.  The home team scored early to put them 1 – 0 up against the bigger Switzerland boys and a couple of minutes later missed a penalty but scored again just before the end of play to clinch the championship by 2 goals to 0.

And then it was time for the 2010 Danone Nations Cup World Final!

Zinedine Zidane arrived at the stadium at lunch with Danone CEO, Franck Riboud, and walked around the field watching the games stopping every now and again to greet a youngster or give a bit of advice.  There was not one of the 1 120 kids participating that were not in awe of this world famous footballer.  What makes Zidane that much more popular is that fact that he triumphed in his football career despite his humble beginnings.  He is a true example of believing in your dreams, the motto that the Danone Nations Cup is built on

The final game between Mexico and Uruguay was an exciting one with the entire stadium on the edge of their seats as both teams were evenly matched.  Both countries were excited to get into the final as they have not reached such a high position in an international tournament – no matter what age group including the senior team – and wanted to prove that development in their home countries was something to be proud of.

But in the end it was Mexico that finally took the trophy winning by 2 – 0

Franck Riboud ended of by announcing that the 2011 Danone Nations World Cup will take place in Spain!

Highlights from the 2009 Danone Nations Cup world finals.

The last day of the Danone Nations Cup is in full swing at the Orlando Stadium in Soweto. As the 2009 tournament had to be postponed due to the outbreak of the H1N1 flu virus, this year’s Danone Nations Cup is a feast of junior football: a total of 40 games are being played throughout today to decide who takes home the trophies for 2010 and 2009, respectively.

No red or yellow cards to be seen in this format of soccer, but passionate play has been the order of the day. Some of the highlights:

Poland vs Austria 2009:

Poland started off well but Austria soon found their feet and went on to dominate much of the game. Austria took the lead leaving Polish defender and keeper staring at one another as the ball slowly rolled in between the goal posts. Laduma!

Poland went into attack mode immediately but failed to score an equaliser. Austria thus finishes in 21 st position overall and Poland 22nd

Egypt and France 2009 u/13:

France, who has won the tournament twice previously (2000 and 2008) beat Egypt 1-0 in a rather uneventful match. Having scored early in the game, the boys in blue held on to their advantage, leaving little room for the North African team to move.

France finishes in 19 th position overall and Egypt in 20th position.

Canada vs Russia 2009 u/13:

By all accounts, this turned out to be one of the more exciting clashes. Fast paced and fiercely contested. Canada was the first to hit the back of the net, but the Russians didn’t trail behind for long, equalising almost immediately.

Both teams impressed with their passing and defending, eliciting much support from the stands. In the end, it was the mixed Canadian team – they have two girls playing in the team – that triumphed 3-2.

Canada finished in 17 th position; Russia 18 th.

There was a buzz of excitement when Zinedine Zidane came onto the field.

South Africa Wins the Danone Cup of Nations World Finals

South Africa’s 2009 team beat a much bigger and far more favoured Swiss team.

Our little South Africans faced a far more physical Swiss side but they did not let them push them around. The Swiss team tried to take advantage of their size difference and that cost the dearly. The two smallest South African players, their wings, were quick, skilful and had only one thing in mind, put the ball into the net.

South Africa very soon took charge of the game. Dominating possession and territory, they were by far the more skilled team. Eventually they broke the swiss defence and the 20 thousand strong croud went crazy. You would think that there was a Soweto derby on. The swiss tried to strike back but only looked dangerous during corners. South Africa carried on dominating the game and came close on many occasions to doubling their lead. Only their enthusiasm stopped them from scoring. Eventually the inevitable happened, South Africa doubled their lead and it was all over for the swiss.

When the final whistle blew the crowed erupted and the South African team went crazy, hugging each other, jumping and running around. They eventually got come sort of order in place and did a lap of honour. Everyone was happy for them, except for maybe the Swiss.

Well done boys, you make us proud.

The 2010 final was between Uruguay and Mexico. This game was also one sided. Mexico came close to scoring in the first minute of the game but the ball was saved by a brilliant effort from the keeper. A couple of minutes later they scored and you could see that they knew that they were going to win. Uruguay tried everything to get back into the game and it did not help. Mexico soon doubled their lead and they played out time.

Well done Mexico. Giovanni Dos Santos will be proud of you, he could not win the tournament when he played.

Young footballers leave Pretoria in high spirits ahead of the World Final in Orlando tomorrow

More than 1120 kids left the sporting complex of the University of Pretoria in high spirits today as the knockout stages of the competition concluded. Tomorrow’s final at Orlando stadium promises to be action-packed as all the teams play their last game to determine their final rankings in the competition.

The highlights of the day will undoubtedly be the two final games in which Mexico, Uruguay, Switzerland and hosts South Africa will be taking part. Mexico and Uruguay for the 2010 title; Switzerland and South Africa for the 2009 title.

After beating the samba boys Brazil, Mexico will face Uruguay for the title of 2010 Danone Nations Cup world champions. The two teams feel confident that they will be able to deliver a sterling performance, and the numbers do the talking: Both teams have only conceded two goals in the entire tournament thus far, Mexico having scored 15 goals and Uruguay eight.

“The game against Brazil was definitely the most difficult,” says Mexican coach Raymundo Lopez. “They played a lot of long shots and made it very difficult for us to score. Tomorrow’s game against Uruguay will also be a great challenge, because they are truly an excellent team.”

In sizing up the competition, Uruguay coach Edward Bermuyez feels confident that his team is ready for the challenge. “I am not worried about how the children will do; they have shown what they are made of,” he says. “If we win it will be fantastic, and all the parents that came to support us will be delighted. But winning is not of top importance. It is about the pleasure of the game”

The host team has been bulldozing the competition in the 2009 tournament, having conceded only two goals in their seven games. “I am in seventh heaven,” says coach Bafana Dlamini. “The performance of these young players has been amazing. I think it is because we work to keep our focus and keep our spirits high.”

Bree School, who will be representing South Africa side will face Switzerland in the final at Orlando stadium tomorrow. Switzerland scored four goals against Japan in one game, which makes them formidable opponents. With so much home support tomorrow, it will be challenging for the Swiss team to keep their focus, according to coach Facundo Alvanezzi. “I will sing and dance until I am back in Switzerland if we win tomorrow,” he laughs. “The children in our team are very well disciplined - they deserve to win just because of that. But we are here to celebrate the beautiful game, not to chase a victory.”

The young footballers of tomorrow will be playing in a stadium that will be packed to capacity. Retired French footballer Zinedine Zidane will be there in his capacity as official ambassador of the tournament.

The 1120 kids from over 40 countries will play it out among thousands of cheering spectators, high-profile international footballers, and blaring vuvuzelas.

If you haven’t managed to get tickets, the event will be broadcast live over various mediums. Be sure to support your team - whether at the stadium or in your home country!