The newly built Cape Town Stadium faces its biggest test today, when the fourth event will be held this afternoon, a friendly soccer match between the under 18 teams of Ghana and Brazil, with a capacity crowd of 68 000 spectators expected.  

 Three previous events have been held at the Stadium, and each of them had more spectators than the previous event, so as to test the ability of the Stadium management company and of the facility to cope with a crowd of attendees.  The most recent event was a prayer rally attended by 50 000 participants.  The stadium will be at full capacity today, the last time before the first World Cup Match between Uruguay and France kicks off on 11 June.

One of the dignitaries to attend the match is the German Vice Chancellor Guido Westerwelle, who is on a three-country Africa tour, reports the Cape Argus.   Westerwelle says he is visiting the country, to build on the already strong political, economic, social and sporting relationships with South Africa.  Interestingly, German TV channel ZDF has not reported on his visit.

Westerwelle has spoken out strongly in favour of the World Cup talking place in South Africa, in contradiction to some if his country’s soccer administrators and trainers, who have questioned FIFA’s wisdom in hosting the World Cup in this country.   Says Westerwelle: “The Confederations Cup in June 2009 was a resounding successful dress rehearsal.  I’m firmly convinced that we’ll see a very special World Cup.  We’re glad that we can play our part in this: we have been engaged in an intensive exchange of information on the World Cup with South Africa, covering many different areas such as organisation and police co-operation.”   Germany will be hosting a training camps for Bafana Bafana shortly, says the report.

Given the number of spectators expected at the Cape Town Stadium today, streets in Green Point in particular have had ‘no parking’ signs erected this week, leading to the residents of the suburb reacting in anger to the parking tickets they have received for parking in spaces they have parked in for years.

Chris von Ulmenstein, Whale Cottage Portfolio: www.whalecottage.com