Cricket
'Best Confederations Cup ever'
2009-06-30 10:01
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Johannesburg - Cricket South Africa (CSA) President Dr Mtutuzeli Nyoka has hailed the 2009 FIFA Confederations Cup as the best ever and has congratulated the South African Football Association on the successful staging of the event.
Speaking ahead of the 2009 SA Cricket Awards on Tuesday, where CSA and the Proteas celebrate their best year ever, Dr Nyoka said: “ South Africa yet again gave the world a blue print on how to run a successful international sports event in the 21st century. The amazing talent of our sportsmen, and the skills of our soccer administrators surpassed and exceeded everything that the sporting world expected and demanded of them.
“Everything seemed to have been well-planned and well-executed at all levels. There surely now can be no doubt about the success of the 2010 FIFA World Cup.”
Proteas skipper Graeme Smith, one of the nominees for SA Cricketer of the Year at Tuesday night’s 2009 SA Cricket Awards Gala Dinner, was full of praise for his soccer counterparts, Bafana Bafana, who finished fourth in the Confederations Cup.
“The past week has been a watershed moment in South African soccer. Bafana Bafana competed with great skill, commitment and spirit against Spain and Brazil, two of the acknowledged powerhouses of world soccer. And, if the final results did not go our way, it was still a time of upliftment and excitement for our nation and augurs extremely well for next year’s World Cup campaign.
“Once again our country has displayed its ability to organise a world-class international event and this has positives that go beyond the boundaries of sport.
“Well done to everybody involved both on the playing field and in the organizational structures.”