The Great South African 2010 Base Camp Scramble!

South African Cities Vie to Host Teams as Base Camps for 2010 Football World Cup

The 2010 World Cup Final Draw has come and gone. The teams now know who they will play in the first round. So the next questions are: Where will they stay? Where will they train? Which lucky cities will get to host the 32 teams?

For over a year, South African officials have been feverishly wooing the team’s representatives to establish their base camps in their cities. They’ve wined and dined them, charmed and delighted them. But the campaign continues, because the team dignitaries have been playing hard-to-get. Only a handful of nations have declared their intentions. The other ones appear to be holding out for the best offer. Meanwhile, we’re all dying to know!

What we do know is that the Australian team - the Socceroos –will base themselves at the Kloofzicht Lodge in the Zwartkops Mountains between Johannesburg and Pretoria. About a 45 minutes drive from both cities, they will be close to the Cradle of Humankind. A 5-star venue located in a game reserve with kudu, wildebeest, and zebra, the Lodge also boasts a number of fly-fishing dams and walking tracks.

According to team coach Pim Verbeek, “It will give our players a good chance to relax and re-cooperate during what will be a very hectic and exciting tournament.” For training, they will use the upgraded Wayne Joubert Field at St Stithian’s College. Lucky Gauteng!

England’s Three Lions made a special arrangement with Royal Bafokeng Sports of Rustenburg, securing a base camp there which is being purpose-built for them. Their facilities will cost 20m pounds. But while the facilities are getting into shape, England’s coach Fabio Capello has voiced dissatisfaction with the pitch quality of the practice fields. Once those are upgraded, the Three Lions should be set.

The Ghanaian Black Stars have chosen the small town of Nelspruit for their base camp. At altitude, and close to their initial games in Pretoria, Rustenburg and Johannesburg, Nelspruit should provide a pleasant setting for the team to shine.

The Japanese Blue Samurai will base themselves at the Fancourt Hotel & Country Club in the Garden Route city of George. They say that it is “lucky” because it is where Japan's Ai Miyazato and Rui Kitada won the inaugural women's World Cup of Golf in 2005. "George is a lucky town for Japan," Japan Football Association president Motoaki Inukai told Japanese media. "We will need luck as the football World Cup will be a tough campaign," he added. "It is beautiful with greenery and our players can focus on their battles." Sounds like the perfect place for the Blue Samurai to prepare for combat.

It appears that the Argentinean squad has chosen Pretoria as its base camp, Germany has chosen nearby Centurion, and Brazil has opted for Bloemfontein. But Italy and the United States appear to be squabbling over who gets to stay at the Irene Country Lodge located between Johannesburg and Pretoria. Save it for the pitch guys!

Lay out the Reds
Meanwhile, the Western Cape continues to lay out the red carpet for other prospective teams. From Cape Town to Stellenbosch to Paarl and beyond, the Cape has positioned itself as the ultimate base camp for the 2010 teams.

The only problem for some is that they will have to play games at altitude, so they prefer to stay in the upcountry regions for better acclimatization. OK, we get it. But c'mon, if you're in South Africa for a month, you know you want to be in Cape Town! We're waiting for you!

So far a couple of football teams have been confirmed for the Cape Garden Route and Klein Karoo region.

Denmark has confirmed they will be staying at the Simola Golf and Country Estate, also in Knysna, and Japan has confirmed they will be staying at Fancourt in George.

The Emerald Resort and Casino in Vanderbijpark will be the Swiss homebase during the World Cup, just outside Johannesburg.

Also in the Johannesburg-area: The Spanish football team. They will set up their base camp in Potchefstroom (120km from Joburg).

The French team opted for their 2010 base camp at the luxurious Pezula resort near Knysna, along the famous Garden Route. Great for golf, and during June and July also for soccer.

Paraguayan players had to rebook, after their decision not to stay in the Point Hotel in Mossel Bay (their first option). They recently booked their rooms in Pietermaritzburg in the KwaZulu-Natal Province.

Want to know who’s playing where and when? Read our overview of the Groups for the FIFA 2010 World Cup. 

For more exciting news and information on the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa browse our FIFA 2010 Section.

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