South Africa

FIFA changes rules to boost sluggish Confed Cup sales

FIFA general-secretary Jerome Valcke Johannesburg  - With less than three months to go to the opening game in the Confederations Cup in South Africa, and only one-third of the tickets sold, FIFA is pulling out all the stops to fill seats, FIFA general-secretary Jerome Valcke said Sunday.

Of the 640,000 tickets available for the eight-nation "Championship of Champions", held in the World Cup host nation a year before the big event, FIFA has sold less than
200,000 tickets so far, Valcke told reporters in Johannesburg.

South Africa score morale-boosting victory against Norway

South Africa score morale-boosting victory against Norway Johannesburg  - World Cup hosts South Africa scored a morale-boosting 2-1 victory against under-strength Norway in an international football friendly on Saturday.

Substitute Siphiwe Tshabalala gave Bafana Bafana an injury-time winner in Rustenburg.

The game played as the annual Nelson Mandela Challenge, and marked the re-opening of the Royal Bafokeng Stadium, which has been upgraded for this year's Confederations Cup and next year's World Cup.

Tutu: South Africa has snubbed the Dalai Lama

Tutu: South Africa has snubbed the Dalai Lama Johannesburg - The Dalai Lama feels snubbed by the refusal by South Africa to grant him a visa for last Friday's planned peace conference, Archbishop Desmond Tutu has said.

The Dalai Lama expressed his regret about the denial in a letter to the archbishop, Tutu told the Saturday Star newspaper.

Kolkata Knight Riders bag Charl Langeveldt for IPL second season

IPLCape Town, Mar. 28 : Former Proteas medium pacer Charl Langeveldt has joined the Indian Premier League (IPL).

According to Sports24, Langeveldt has struck a deal with the Kolkata Knight Riders after his county team Derbyshire ‘reluctantly’ set him free to participate in the five week cricket extravaganza starting from April 18.

“I am pleased he has the opportunity to play alongside the world’s best in the IPL competition. We will undoubtedly miss a bowler of Charl’s experience and ability for the early part of the season,” Head of Cricket at Derbyshire, John Morris said.

Madonna must stick to Malawi law in second adoption: activists

Madonna must stick to Malawi law in second adoption: activists Johannesburg  - A human rights group in Malawi, where US popstar Madonna is trying to adopt a sibling for her three-year-old adoptive son David Banda, has warned the government to grant her no special favours.

The 50-year-old star, whose 2006 adoption of Banda from an orphanage in Malawi was dogged by controversy, is expected to return to the country on Saturday with her family, Undule Mwaksungula, spokesman for Malawi's Human Rights Consultative Committee, said.

Zuma defends Dalai Lama ban but "disappointment" in World Cup ranks

Zuma defends Dalai Lama ban but "disappointment" in World Cup ranks Johannesburg  - South Africa's frontrunner for president, Jacob Zuma, defended the government's refusal to deny the Dalai Lama a visa, even as the organizers of the 2010 football World Cup expressed disappointment at the subsequent canning of a 2010-related peace conference.

Zuma is the president of the ruling African National Congress party. He is poised to replace President Kgalema Motlanthe as leader after general elections on April 22 that the ANC is favoured to win.

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