Obama to grace World Cup gala
Jun 22, 2009
JOHANNESBURG, Monday - US President Barack Obama has accepted to attend the opening ceremony of the soccer World Cup finals in South Africa next year, FIFA president Sepp Blatter has said.
JOHANNESBURG, Monday - US President Barack Obama has accepted to attend the opening ceremony of the soccer World Cup finals in South Africa next year, FIFA president Sepp Blatter has said.
President Obama, whose late father was Kenyan, has indicated he will attend the event on June 11 next year when the first World Cup to be staged on African soil begins.
Blatter told the media: “The World Cup in Africa will go well, there is no doubt. And the man who said, ‘Yes we can do it,’ will be there.
“President Obama has accepted an invitation to the opening ceremony. Of course the schedule of heads of state can change, but he has said he will be there if he can.â€
* Blatter welcomed North Korea’s qualification for the finals, saying it showed the game’s development around the world was continuing unabated. “To have the DR Korea at the World Cup is a confirmation that the development of football will not stop, and North Korea has always had good players.â€
African region qualifiers
Morocco 0 Togo 0
Gabon v Cameroon-Postponed
Tunisia 0 Nigeria 0
Kenya 2 Mozambique 1
Mali 3 Benin 1
Sudan 0 Ghana 2
Guinea 2 Malawi 1
Zambia 0 Algeria 2
Burkina Faso 2 Ivory Coast 3
Egypt v Rwanda - Postponed
Standings, Group A
P W D L F A Pts
Gabon 2 2 0 0 5 1 6
Togo 3 1 1 1 1 3 4
Morocco 3 0 2 1 1 2 2
Cameroon 2 0 1 1 0 1 1
Group B
Tunisia 3 2 1 0 4 1 7
Nigeria 3 1 2 0 3 0 5
Kenya 3 1 0 2 3 6 3
Mozambique 3 0 1 2 1 4 1
Group C
Algeria 3 2 1 0 5 1 7
Zambia 3 1 1 1 2 3 4
Rwanda 2 0 1 1 0 1 1
Egypt 2 0 1 1 2 4 1
Group D
Ghana 3 3 0 0 5 0 9
Mali 3 1 1 1 4 4 4
Benin 3 1 0 2 2 4 3
Sudan 3 0 1 2 1 4 1
Group E
Ivory Coast 3 3 0 0 10 3 9
Burkina Faso 3 2 0 1 7 5 6
Guinea 3 1 0 2 5 7 3
Malawi 3 0 0 3 1 8 0
* Top teams qualify for World Cup and Nations Cup, 2nd and 3rd for Nations Cup only.
President Obama, whose late father was Kenyan, has indicated he will attend the event on June 11 next year when the first World Cup to be staged on African soil begins.
Blatter told the media: “The World Cup in Africa will go well, there is no doubt. And the man who said, ‘Yes we can do it,’ will be there.
“President Obama has accepted an invitation to the opening ceremony. Of course the schedule of heads of state can change, but he has said he will be there if he can.â€
* Blatter welcomed North Korea’s qualification for the finals, saying it showed the game’s development around the world was continuing unabated. “To have the DR Korea at the World Cup is a confirmation that the development of football will not stop, and North Korea has always had good players.â€
African region qualifiers
Morocco 0 Togo 0
Gabon v Cameroon-Postponed
Tunisia 0 Nigeria 0
Kenya 2 Mozambique 1
Mali 3 Benin 1
Sudan 0 Ghana 2
Guinea 2 Malawi 1
Zambia 0 Algeria 2
Burkina Faso 2 Ivory Coast 3
Egypt v Rwanda - Postponed
Standings, Group A
P W D L F A Pts
Gabon 2 2 0 0 5 1 6
Togo 3 1 1 1 1 3 4
Morocco 3 0 2 1 1 2 2
Cameroon 2 0 1 1 0 1 1
Group B
Tunisia 3 2 1 0 4 1 7
Nigeria 3 1 2 0 3 0 5
Kenya 3 1 0 2 3 6 3
Mozambique 3 0 1 2 1 4 1
Group C
Algeria 3 2 1 0 5 1 7
Zambia 3 1 1 1 2 3 4
Rwanda 2 0 1 1 0 1 1
Egypt 2 0 1 1 2 4 1
Group D
Ghana 3 3 0 0 5 0 9
Mali 3 1 1 1 4 4 4
Benin 3 1 0 2 2 4 3
Sudan 3 0 1 2 1 4 1
Group E
Ivory Coast 3 3 0 0 10 3 9
Burkina Faso 3 2 0 1 7 5 6
Guinea 3 1 0 2 5 7 3
Malawi 3 0 0 3 1 8 0
* Top teams qualify for World Cup and Nations Cup, 2nd and 3rd for Nations Cup only.