Tomorrow there will be only 100 days left before kick-off of the 2010 World Cup. Many celebrations will be held across the country to mark this day.
The Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium was officially opened on Sunday in a prelude to the 100 days festivities nationwide.
Tomorrow there will be only 100 days left before kick-off of the 2010 World Cup. Many celebrations will be held across the country to mark this day.
The Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium was officially opened on Sunday in a prelude to the 100 days festivities nationwide.
One local soccer fanatic has been celebrating for the past few weeks, as it was confirmed that he will be the team liaison officer for the England soccer side.
While it is a dream for many just to watch England live in action, Mandla Gagayi will not only watch all England’s matches but spend time with the team during their entire stay at the World Cup.
Gagayi has won double tickets to watch two World Cup matches with his wife, but rather opted to spend time at England’s side.
Gagayi is an avid Manchester United fan who was happy to see his side beat Aston Villa 2-1 in the final of the Carling Cup at Wembley Stadium on Sunday.
Locally, he is a Mamelodi Sundowns supporter and is the deputy head of sport at Rhodes University Sports Administration.
He was informed in November last year that the South African Football Association (Safa) had put his name down as a possible team liaison, days before he was going to apply for the post.
Gagayi has a close relationship with Safa, being involved with many local, provincial and national Safa programmes.
He also serves on the Safa Eastern Cape management committee and is the national secretary for the University Sports South Africa football code, and so with these two positions he sits on the Safa committee.
At the draw in Cape Town in December, he met the England head coach Fabio Capello as well as David Beckham, of whom Gagayi said were both “down to earth and very humble guys”.
Here the various team liaisons had to set up times and days for the team management to visit the various stadiums and base camps.
Gagayi and the England team then inspected the stadiums in Cape town, Port Elizabeth and Johannesburg. They also visited the England base camp, which is in Rustenburg.
After the week with the England management Gagyi then submitted a report to the World Cup Local Organising Committee (LOC).
After the practical interview process, Gagayi got the heads up from the England management side as their team liaison.
Gagayi and the other 31 team liaisons, as well as the team security liaisons spend the past week with the LOC in a workshop relating to their duties during the World Cup, which was held in Rustenburg, near to Gagayi and the England side’s base camp.
The team liasons will not be involved with the teams, but will need to make sure all the logistics are taken care of. Gagayi said it is important that South African’s be part of the World Cup.
“We all need to be part of the World Cup in one way or the other.” Gagayi said he was impressed to see how some of the country’s are so well organised and professional and said he looks forward to using these ideas when dealing with Rhodes projects.
While the team liasons are not on the pay roll, Gagayi said “no amount of money will give me this experience of the event.”
Gagayi hopes England will make the final because “when they are knocked out, I am also sent home,” and so he wishes for England to make the final so he can also watch the final match live.
He urged the youth of the Eastern Cape to get involved with the World Cup, saying there are many posts being advertised in the media by the LOC.
Gagayi was disappointed that there are only two team liaison officers from the Eastern Cape, although it is one ofthe largest provinces. “Don’t just sit at home and watch the World Cup on TV and say the World Cup has done nothing for you, get involved.”
