USA World Cup Team To Have Good Fan Support In South Africa
The USA’s World Cup team arrived Monday at OR Tambo International Airport in Johannesburg, after a 17-hour flight from the United States. It looks like the Americans will have good fan support in South Africa. “The USA won the hearts of many South Africans when they made it to the final of the FIFA Confederations […]
A SSOS Salute For VOA’s Retiring Howard Lesser
Here’s a Sonny Side of Sports salute for my VOA colleague Howard Lesser, who is retiring after 30+ years at the Voice of America. Howard is a big sports fan, and I’m sure he’ll be watching some of next month’s World Cup football matches in South Africa on TV. I would often engage in sporty […]
Basketball Stars Nash, Bryant and Russell Get World Cup Kicks
Basketball Hall of Famer Bill Russell recently attended a USA World Cup team practice at Rentschler Field in East Hartford, Connecticut. Russell helped the Boston Celtics win 11 NBA titles in 13 seasons from 1956-1969. The 76-year-old Russell is not the only basketball great getting some kicks from World Cup soccer. Two future members of […]
Will Altitude Be Factor At World Cup?
Defending champion Italy opened its World Cup training camp Sunday at the ski resort of Sestriere, which is located at an elevation of about 1,980 meters. England and 1998 World Cup champion France are also holding training camps at altitude, while the Asian teams Japan and South Korea are considering tents and masks that simulate […]
World Cup Spotlight on USA’s Jozy Altidore
A recent Sports Illustrated article on American striker Jozy Altidore described him as the USA’s “biggest goal-scoring threat” at next month’s World Cup in South Africa. The 20-year-old Altidore earned that description even though he probably will be the youngest player on the USA’s World Cup team. Altidore has played with the USA national team […]
Bidens to represent USA at World Cup
Here in Washington, the White House says Vice President Joe Biden and his wife, Jill, will represent the USA at the football World Cup’s opening ceremonies 11 June in Johannesburg, South Africa. The announcement appears to rule out the possibility of President Barack Obama attending the World Cup. Last year, during a meeting with world […]
Remembering “King” Richard Kotey, VOA’s “Gallant Ghanaian”
I’ll be celebrating my 22nd VOA anniversary in South Africa next month during the World Cup. When you work at any place that long, chances are, you’re going to meet a few interesting people. As I look forward to the World Cup, I’m a little sad that I can’t share some of the World Cup […]
Princeton Homecoming for USA Coach Bob Bradley
U.S. men’s national soccer team coach Bob Bradley is leading a pre-World Cup training camp this week at Princeton University in New Jersey. It’s a homecoming for the 52-year-old Bradley, who was born and raised in New Jersey, and who previously played soccer and coached the men’s team at Princeton. U.S. team press officer Michael […]
High-Five for World Cup Mascot Zakumi
Keen viewers of my “In Focus” TV segments filmed at my VOA cubicle will notice a trusty back-drop in many of the shoots – his name is “Footix,” and he was the official mascot of the 1998 World Cup in France. “Footix” is a rooster, one of the national symbols of France. World Cup mascots […]
Ethiopian great Haile Gebrselassie gets his World Cup kicks
Ethiopian athletics great Haile Gebrselassie was one of the celebrities who attended the FIFA World Cup draw in December 2009 in Cape Town, South Africa. Haile took the stage in Cape Town with other big names like England soccer star David Beckham and South African actress Charlize Theron. Seeing Haile on stage in Cape Town reminded […]
