World Cup giant Germany lands in South Africa

JOHANNESBURG: Germany was the latest World Cup giant to touch down in South Africa for the first World Cup staged on the continent.

The three-time champions landed at Johannesburg international airport on a crisp, clear Monday morning after the first official flight of the national airline in an Airbus A380 jumbo.

“It was a great experience to be on the first A380 flight,” coach Joachim Loew told reporters as he and his 23-man squad completed immigration details before heading for a hotel near Pretoria.

“We want to show South Africans from the outset that we are happy to be in their country,” added manager and former national team striker Oliver Bierhoff.

Germany finished third behind Italy and France when it hosted the tournament four years ago.

Algeria arrives

Another African contender to touch down was Algeria, shock qualifier after a 24-year absence at the expense of Egypt, who arrived at recently built Durban international airport.

Slovenia, which upset the odds by snatching a ticket to South Africa at the expense of Guus Hiddink-coached Russia, was the fourth country to arrive in South Africa on Monday.

Calls for austerity

As Italy scrambles to stave off a debt crisis and reassure financial markets, a minister has stirred controversy by urging ”sacrifices” from the country's beloved national football team.

“If everybody makes sacrifices, the cuts will be smaller and easier to bear for everyone,” said Roberto Calderoli, minister for legislative simplification.

“Football should also do its share,” he said in remarks quoted by the daily Corriere della Sera on Monday.

Italy's Azzurri (Blues), the defending champion as the World Cup tournament kicks off in South Africa on Friday, will each receive a bonus of 250,000 euros (300,000 dollars) if they retain the title, 130,000 euros for reaching the final or 60,000 euros for a semifinal appearance.

Giancarlo Abete, the head of Italy's football federation, rejected the comments out of hand, noting that the bonuses come from world football governing body FIFA and have nothing to do with the state budget.

Leaving nothing to chance

So with the eyes of the world on South Africa, police are leaving nothing to chance.

Bomb squads, thousands of uniformed, plainclothes and mounted police officers will be patrolling both Soccer City and Cape Town's Green Point arena where France take on Uruguay on Friday night.

While a mischievous South African Airlines pilot flew over the stadium in Johannesburg as a good luck gesture when the Springboks won the 1995 rugby World Cup, stadia have been declared no-fly zones and closed to traffic.

Ever since Israel's Olympians were gunned down at the 1972 Munich Games, an attack by publicity-seeking extremists has been the ultimate nightmare scenario for major sporting events. A group of far-right militants are currently facing trial over accusations they wanted to blow up black townships ahead of the tournament and Iraqi officials announced the arrest last month of a Saudi man accused of helping to plan an attack during the month-long event.

Dutch authorities meanwhile say they have received intelligence reports of a possible attack but Johan Berger, a security expert at South Africa's Institute for Security Studies, said there was little to suggest games will be targeted.

Howls of protest

Calderoli's suggestion to reduce the bonuses met with howls of protest from Azzurri captain Fabio Cannavaro, who fumed: “We live in a ridiculous country. “I like Calderoli a lot better as minister than as a sports commentator,” added Defence Minister Ignazio La Russa, an avid football fan.

Italy's centre-right government, headed by billionaire Silvio Berlusconi — owner of football giants AC Milan — is struggling to put the final touches on some 25 billion euros of spending cuts that were approved on May 25.

Among other measures, the austerity package aimed at reducing the national deficit is expected to cut elected officials' salaries.

French minister slapped down

All of France must cheer on its World Cup football team, the government spokesman said on Monday, in remarks aimed at the sports minister for criticising the team's choice of a posh hotel. Junior sports minister Rama Yade caused a stir at the weekend when she said the Bleus team should have shown some “decency” during hard economic times by not choosing a five-star resort to stay in while in South Africa.

Government spokesman Luc Chatel said it was unfortunate that such a controversy had erupted just a few days before the start of the World Cup.

“What is important, is that all of the French, including members of the government, be behind their team,” said Chatel on France Inter radio.

Water-tight defence

South Africa is to throw a ring of steel around Johannesburg's sparkling new Soccer City stadium to prevent terrorists, hooligans or petty criminals from spoiling Friday's World Cup kick-off. With around 50 murders a day, South Africa has a reputation as one of the world's most dangerous countries and the build-up to the tournament has been dogged by talk of terror plots and hooligan fears.

Few football fans need reminding the start of the last major tournament on the continent, January's African Cup of Nations in Angola, was overshadowed by a deadly attack on Togo's team bus by separatists.— Agencies