South African tourism bodies on Thursday said the 2010 World Cup host will have enough beds for visitors after FIFA boss Sepp Blatter said demand could out-strip availability.
There are graded rooms to spare in South Africa and everybody who comes for the World Cup will find a place to stay easily, said Moeketsi Mosola, CEO of South African Tourism.
The country has nearly 100,000 graded rooms, mostly around host cities, while FIFA needed 55,000, he said in a joint statement with the Tourism Grading Council of South Africa.
The football body had contracted some 28,000 rooms so far as some establishments chose to market themselves independently of the company services contracted by FIFA, the statement said.
In a four-day visit to South Africa in which …
Bonucci wary of embattled Spain forward Morata as Italy play down favourites tag in Euro 2020 semi-f
Italy defender Leonardo Bonucci leapt to the defence of Juventus team-mate and embattled Spain forward Alvaro Morata ahead of their Euro 2020 semi-final showdown.
Spain s Morata has been on the wrong end of criticism for his performances at Euro 2020, while he reportedly received death threats amid online abuse directed at his family.
Team-mates at club level for Juve in Serie A, Bonucci and Morata will face-off when Italy play Spain in Tuesday s Euro 2020 semi-final at Wembley and the former heaped praise on the 28-year-old Spaniard.
I was really struck by what happened to him and what we all have to go through, Bonucci said of the death threats directed at Morata. I ve also had to go through what he has gone through, and I know what it s like to read certain t…
England and Italy meet this evening in the quarter-finals of Euro 2012.
Both countries have enjoyed good tournaments so far and will be looking to progress to a semi-final meeting with the impressive Germans.
Expectations were relatively low in both countries prior to the tournament but they have grown since both sides made it out of the group stage.
Transition
The two countries find themselves in very similar transitional states at the moment but for different reasons. England are in transitional state due to boss Roy Hodgson coming in just a few weeks before the Euro’s started.
Italy’s transitional state is due to the Azzurri trying to find the right formation and tactics under head coach Cesare Prandelli to be successful. The Italian media…
Real Madrid striker Raul will likely quit Real Madrid at the end of the 2010-2011 season. The Spaniard said this in an interview with sportspaper Marca.
The player added that instead of ending his career right there and then, he might spend another year playing in the Major League Soccer.
It is difficult because you always want to go when you are playing at the highest level, he said. For now, I have a contract until 2011. Six months before that, in December or January, it will be the right time to analyse the situation and see if it benefits the club for me to go on.
The forward, currently 32 years old, is one of Real Madrid s most prominent club icons.
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Chelsea and England defender Reece James has revealed he had his Champions League winners medal and Euro 2020 runners-up medal stolen during a burglary at his home.
The break-in happened while the 21-year-old was playing for the Blues in Tuesday s 1-0 Champions League win over Zenit.
James played a full part in Chelsea s 1-0 victory over Manchester City in last season s final and was used once for England in their run to the European Championship final, where they lost to Italy.
He took to social media on Thursday to appeal for help finding the culprits, who took a safe that also contained his Super Cup winners medal.
These medals were won representing Chelsea and England – honours that can never be taken away from me whether or not I have the physic…
Luis Suarez overshadowed his Uruguay team’s stunning World Cup victory over Italy when he bit defender Giorgio Chiellini on this day in 2014.
The incident took place in the final group game between the sides as Diego Godin headed a late goal to secure a 1-0 win for the South Americans to progress at the expense of the 2006 world champions.
Suarez then fell to the floor holding his mouth and Chiellini protested the Uruguayan forward had dived.
My apologies to Chiellini:
— Luis Suárez (@LuisSuarez9)
Chiellini told Italian television station Rai TV afterwards: “It was ridiculous not to send Suarez off. It is clear, clear-cut.
“Then there was the obvious dive afterwards because he knew very well that he did something that he shouldn…
There is a sweet science to picking NFL underdogs.
You have to make sure not to overreact to the last thing you saw and be wary of getting too high or too low in your opinions. Forking through the injuries, situational spots, and coach speak is a must to kick up any hidden advantages. And line value plays a big part, making sure you’re grabbing as many points as you can, in and around those key numbers.
But sometimes, making NFL underdog picks is as simple as selecting the best team getting the points. That’s where I find myself with the NFL Week 8 pointspread picks, siding up to some solid teams wearing the dog tags this weekend.
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A soft end to 2021 nearly cradled the Miami Dolphins all the way to the playoffs, but the 2022 slate is not as cushy. If the Dolphins want to make the tournament, they’ll have to crawl over hot coals and battle sub-zero wastelands in the final two months of the season.
Miami’s NFL odds have them on par with last year, even with Mike McDaniel taking over the head coaching chair after an ugly exit from Brian Flores. McDaniel has surrounded quarterback Tua Tagovailoa with dangerous speed and installs his zone running schemes and all the misdirection and RPO that comes along with it.
We see how things will shakedown in South Beach with our Miami Dolphins 2022 betting preview.
Mi…
The Las Vegas Raiders and Los Angeles Rams participated in two joint practices this week and aren’t through with each other yet, as they square off during Week 2 of the NFL preseason on Saturday.
Looking at the NFL odds, Vegas is favored to go into SoFi and pick up a road victory — and to win by margin.
While that line may seem surprising to some, a closer look at how both respective coaches handle preseason dress rehearsals is worthwhile as it reveals some important trends.
Check out if I’m supporting those trends or not with my best bet, and read on for my full NFL picks and predictions for Raiders vs Rams on Saturday, August 19.
Raiders vs Rams odds
Raiders vs Rams pr…
You know we’re in the thick of the NFL betting season when the weeks hit double digits, and that’s exactly where we’re at with Week 10 odds on the board as we officially cross the halfway mark of the campaign.
At this point in the season, oddsmakers’ power ratings are humming with half a season’s worth of data. That means NFL odds are tighter than ever, so getting the best number for your wagers is vital.
I look at the opening NFL Week 10 spreads and Over/Under totals and tell you which ones to bet now and which you should wait to bet later.
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