NL Contingent to SA 2010.

Ok, its a world cup year and certainly lots of people will be streaming and trooping to South Africa including some Nairalanders.   _bebenlo. . .

For those who have more than enough kishi (money) or simply are not prepared to waste time, its quite easy. . .you can buy a travel package from Emirates ( See Link Here) or some ready made packages else where.

So, this thread is mainly for the benefit of those who are looking to save some extra cash and catch enough fun. You can help your fellow NL-ander by dropping or sharing some very important tips here about

- Flight Tickets
- Accommodation
- Food
- Transport
- Places of interest etc.

One thing is, it is always good to plan early. So drop your tips while I go make some banners - NIGERIANS LOVE FOOTBALL!. _{well, everyone knows that innit?} 

Seems no one want to go to SA to support our dear SE.

Tickets are on sale now and you can get them online from
http://www.fifa.com/worldcup/organisation/ticketing/index.html

As per accommodation. . .well staying in a hotel is cool but maybe very expensive. I understand some people do rent out room/flats but I don't know how safe that is.

You can check here for such rooms/flats from this website
http://www.istopover.com/worldcup2010/

Folks, abeg drop and share whatever other tips you may have.

na wa o!
Y'all mean to say no one is planning to go to SA?

Nice initiave FBS.

I will be in South Africa for the world cup and will drop one or two info and i deem neccesary here for my co-travellers.The fact a stadium is not designated for each group kind of makes it difficult being stagnant in a location during the tourney,but then,there is always a way around it.

Once again,cool initiative.

Thanks kay_pumpin. I'd started to think no one actually cared to help NL-anders.

Yes you are right. . .our matches are scattered all over.

We play against Argentina in J'burg (Ellis Park Stadium)
Against Greece in Bloemfontein (Free State Stadium)
Against North Korea in Durban (Durban Stadium).

As you can see from the pic below, one has to travel to different locations to support The SE/watch our matches.
Heck I may just watch one of the matches. . .finito. I no too like stress o jare. 

@OP
maybe you should change your subject to look more eye catching, like below subject, 

BEST/CHEAP OFFERS FOR N'LANDERs GOING TO SA 2010

Nice idea but there ain't no offers yet.
And believe me even when they (offers) do start to flow in here, it's not going to be cheap.
It's always good to set to record straight from the word go.

Anyways, thanks for the idea. What's NLanders take on it?

The whole idea is to have NLanders contribute,
It is all about Marketing!!! why not give it a 3 days trial and see the result?

I will take your word for it. At least we all stand to lose nothing.

Spend money to go and watch Super Chickens. . . . tufiakwa!!!

I done change all ma plans abeg.

Is that all you have to share? LOL  yeye man.

Some of us still believe in the team you know?
Certainly you don't expect some of us to support Algeria or any other team for that matter or do you? 

FBS:

Thanks kay_pumpin. I'd started to think no one actually cared to help NL-anders.

Yes you are right. . .our matches are scattered all over.

We play against Argentina in J'burg (Ellis Park Stadium)
Against Greece in Bloemfontein (Free State Stadium)
Against North Korea in Durban (Durban Stadium).

As you can see from the pic below, one has to travel to different locations to support The SE/watch our matches.
Heck I may just watch one of the matches. . .finito. I no too like stress o jare.

I have tickets for the Nigeria/Argentina game, Nigeria/Greece and some other African and european games in other stadiums as well

The stadiums in the Gauteng area are relatively close to each other per driving distance so one can catch games in this area. The only areas quite far away are Capetown, port Elizabeth and Durban which usually require flights if you are based in Johanesburg which is why I avoided games there.

Pretoria/tswana is about an hour away from Johanesburg
Rustenburg is about 2 hours away
Polkwane about three hours
Bloomfentein is about 4 hours way.
Nelspruit about 3- 4 hours away.

If you have a car it will be wasy to move around( road conditions are excellent for travel.

There will also be bus services shuttling people to and from games that are close to each other

The gau-train will take care of people in the Johanesburg pretoria area.

@FBS

you probably want to move this as well to the travel section. you might get more responses.

!^^^ Not a bad idea but my thinking was that Footie comes first and besides, this is not for Moi alone but for everyone.
But imma try your idea out. . .Thanks.

zooooooooom. . .off to TRAVEL SECTION!!! 

A spokesperson for South Africa's home affairs department told the BBC that African fans who could prove they had bought tickets would be given special fee-free visas for the World Cup.

But she stressed that the normal requirements, such as proof of finance, vaccination certificates and a return ticket, would also have to be met.

BBC

^^^Ha. . .this is very nice!!!

Dis Guy:

BBC

Where did you here that,

here
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/africa/8544813.stm

Mr Valcke said the world's football authority was trying to work with airline companies to offer tickets, so African fans could travel to the showpiece event, which kicks off in 100 days.

He said 2.3 million tickets had been sold, out of a total of 2.9 million.

A spokesperson for South Africa's home affairs department told the BBC that African fans who could prove they had bought tickets would be given special fee-free visas for the World Cup.

But she stressed that the normal requirements, such as proof of finance, vaccination certificates and a return ticket, would also have to be met.

Mr Valcke added that 10 matches were already sold out and extra tickets were being made available for South Africans, at a lower price.

Other African fans, however, will not benefit from these - the cheapest tickets available to them is $80 (£54) per match.

Mr Valcke also said he was confident all the stadiums, pitches and transport facilities would be ready in time.

the best arrangement would be to follow a particular stadium or perhaps a city with a handful stadia nearby instead of following a particular team. That way you can get one base hire a van or car just get tickets to all the games in that stadium

post the picture of the location again @ FBS

What if you don't want to watch other teams or just not interested. I think it would have been easier if teams had dedicated stadia

@Dis Guy. . .see below

FBS:

What if you don't want to watch other teams or just not interested. I think it would have been easier if teams had dedicated stadia

@Dis Guy. . .see below

There are going to be match viewing centers so you don't necessarily have to be in the citites where the game is being played.

You are coming for the experience as well. Cape town is going to be a crazy town which is why I have avoided there. the other stadiums around joburg are pretty close to each other for a 45min to 2 hour car or bus trip to watch the matches if you have tickets.

What about accommodation. . .? I checked some website and the prices are WAAAAAAAAAAY TOOOOOOOO HIGH!!!
Have you any ideas concerning this?


Also have in mind that some folks will come with kids. Moving up and down with kids is a job on its own.

FBS:

What about accommodation. . .? I checked some website and the prices are WAAAAAAAAAAY TOOOOOOOO HIGH!!!
Have you any ideas concerning this?


Also have in mind that some folks will come with kids. Moving up and down with kids is a job on its own.

As far as accomodation is concerned, its insane right now so I can't give any tips.  I have friends who live in town so will obviously be bunking with them.There nare small B&B which will be cheaper than regular hotels, some hostel style areas and also will be huge areas that will be converted to tent like structures for fans who obviously have no accomodation and will probably be a charge to get one. Try to floow soem european chat forums for more details on that,  . preferably the british ones.

It's not advisable to come with kids if you are planning on running around to watch matches, however if you are coming more for a holiday and planning other activity hoping to catch maybe a game or two them its okay. (Note prices for everything will be 3 times as much, )

You might want to get more advise fromour resident South African (RSA) who would know a little more that I would.

morpheus24:

As far as accomodation is concerned, its insane right now so I can't give any tips.  I have friends who live in town so will obviously be bunking with them.There nare small B&B which will be cheaper than regular hotels, some hostel style areas and also will be huge areas that will be converted to tent like structures for fans who obviously have no accomodation and will probably be a charge to get one. Try to floow soem european chat forums for more details on that,  . preferably the british ones.

It's not advisable to come with kids if you are planning on running around to watch matches, however if you are coming more for a holiday and planning other activity hoping to catch maybe a game or two them its okay. (Note prices for everything will be 3 times as much, )

You might want to get more advise fromour resident South African (RSA) who would know a little more that I would.

You right on that. . .prices are way above "normal". Some greedy people eh?
We were checking out some websites on istopover.com (folks who rent out their rooms or flats) and saw onw for $65/night but believe you me, it was twice that price 2 days after. People chasing money right there. . .
But lucky you as you've got someone to bunk with.

FBS:

What if you don't want to watch other teams or just not interested. I think it would have been easier if teams had dedicated stadia

@Dis Guy. . .see below

Well you will have to bring out the cheque book cos fly around with your team will be one expensive, i too wonder why they didn't have dedicated stadium for each group

thanks for the pics

For accommodation, i here many people are doing up their houses for tourist and learning African/European dishes to cater for the surge lol their price should be reasonable

I saw some guy on TV with some sort of tent-hotels looks pretty decent for people not asking for much but for a country with
high crime rate im not too sure perhaps its located in secluded fields

Dis Guy:

Well you will have to bring out the cheque book cos fly around with your team will be one expensive, i too wonder why they didn't have dedicated stadium for each group

thanks for the pics

For accommodation, i here many people are doing up their houses for tourist and learning African/European dishes to cater for the surge lol their price should be reasonable

I saw some guy on TV with some sort of tent-hotels looks pretty decent for people not asking for much but for a country with
high crime rate im not too sure perhaps its located in secluded fields

Thats the only issue that bothers me.i would have liked to do the camping thingy especially in rustenberg but am scared of ole's. The onlly way would be if i see a battaliion of security personnell guarding the area to the teeth,

Again there will be FAN parks within the city limits so people can congregate and watch matches so for the Nigerian matches that I don't have tickets for. i will make do

Tips on SA. . . Anyone?

Sweet advert, like th part where Messi is lost in the bushes,


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sIigc2MDvQg&feature=related

[flash=420,400]
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sIigc2MDvQg[/flash]

i have plans also but will be definite by end of April

have been speaking with some agents for a while and the package they have is for the group stages cos definitely 9ja will be in the group stages

i think its about 3k for the group stages and about 15k if you wanna stay for the grand finale

Nice one FBS but i think it will be nice if we can go as a group

if we are up to 10 from Nairaland, i can speak to people that can help with packages that can suit our needs
it will be nice to display a banner that reads Nairaland supports Super Eagles

so Kay Pumping and tkb
whos on the plane? Jaybee, Sauron, Ibime , Loyika, Kitaun, Debosky
make we go support these peeps na

^^^e be like say no one is ready for SA!

2010: Can you afford to watch a match?

As the clock ticks towards kick-off, soccer fans in many parts of Africa who hailed the 2010 World Cup as FIFA’s gift to the continent may be wondering if they did not count their chickens too early. The reason: The competition may not be the pan-African mobiliser that it was meant to be. And this may not have much to do with lingering worries about possible xenophobic attacks or fears about crime.

It could be mainly a matter of cash. Although ticket prices are already at record low levels –– some say the lowest in recent World Cup history –– fans in many parts of the continent can hardly afford it. In Nigeria, for example, where 70 per cent of the population live on the equivalent of less than a dollar a day, the highest gate fee for a local premier league match is less than two dollars. At FIFA’s current group stage gate fee of $160, it would cost the Nigerian fan three times the country’s minimum wage to see a group stage match involving the country’s national team in the World Cup. Why should a fan pay so much to go to the stadium when he can pay less than a dollar to watch the match on cable TV in a viewing parlour at a street corner?

To make matters worse, fan mood in five of the six African countries that qualified for the competition –– Nigeria, Ghana, Ivory Coast, Cameroun, Algeria and South Africa –– is anything but optimistic. The performance of the Nigerian Super Eagles at the Nation’s Cup was miserable, with many of the big names failing to live up to expectations. The coach has lost his job. After a long spell of hair-splitting, the country only managed to find a new coach –– the Swedish former national coach, Lars Lagerback –– last week. Ghana was a better side, but largely amateurish. Ivory Coast and Cameroun were a shadow of themselves, leaving only Algeria with an above- average performance. Bafana Bafana was not in Angola but it is a measure of fan mood that South African fans have bought more tickets to watch England than they have to watch Bafana Bafana.

But the gate fee is not all that fans have to worry about. Travel costs can be quite high because of limited options and complicated immigration procedures. A round-trip flight from Lagos to Johannesburg, minus personal expenses, could cost as much as $1,500. Independent tourism companies in Lagos are selling packaged tours to Nigeria’s first three games for between $4,000 and $8,500. This is the equivalent of the six-year salary of a civil servant at the current minimum wage; or the two-year salary of those in the supervisory grade in the service.

A Lagos-based company, Zeep Travel Network, which is advertising the Nigeria-Argentina group match as its prime offering, says it is hoping to take 5,000 fans to South Africa for the game. As at two weeks ago, it had only been able to get fewer than 400 fans to sign up. “At first, I thought I would be able to make it to South Africa ,” said Taiwo Folorunsho, a Lagos-based trader. “But business is bad, and I’m not even sure the Super Eagles will make it beyond the group stages. Why should I put all that money on the line, even if I could afford it?”

http://punchontheweb.com/Articl.aspx?theartic=Art201003092425834

^^^
As a fan all you need to do is buy your airline ticket and get visa to SA. If you want you can forget about tickets. There will be FAN fest centers set up which will be the same experience as watching it in the stadiums. The 2006 WC had 18 milliion fans watch via fan fest and its free of charge to get in.

Its the experience that will blow your mind. You can't get that jsut sitting at a beer parlour with a couple hundred people. Cheap but never the same

here's a prelude

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ag4vsZfjqgQ


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CC88dxlhg2g&NR=1