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The gold World Cup trophy will touch down in Joburg before heading on a countrywide tour. It will be back in Jozi for kickoff.
THE most desirable prize in world sport - the FIFA World Cup trophy - will arrive in Joburg on 5 May on the final leg of its global tour.
President of Coca-Cola South Africa, William Egbe
Coca-Cola, sponsors of the 2010 FIFA World Cup™, announced the arrival of the trophy and their commitment to the most prestigious event in the world, at Ellis Park Stadium on Thursday, 11 March.
From Joburg it is on to Western Cape, where the solid gold trophy will start its 32-day journey through South Africa on 7 May. It will stop at 38 cities and towns in the country, arriving back in Johannesburg on 6 June, days before the opening match at the Soccer City Stadium on 11 June.
"This is one of the largest and most exciting legacies that will be left behind in our country and for the first time Coca-Cola is bringing the trophy to the people of Africa," said William Egbe, the president of Coca-Cola South Africa.
The trophy has been a symbol of the FIFA World Cup since it was first used in 1974. While in South Africa, it will be moving from town to town in a special, secure helicopter. "Only heads of state and the captains of winning teams will be allowed to touch it," said Onwell Msomi, the general manager of Coca-Cola South Africa.
From Western Cape, the tour will head to Eastern Cape, KwaZulu-Natal, Free State, Northern Cape, North West, Mpumalanga and Limpopo before returning to Gauteng. At each city and town it visits, the trophy will be prominently displayed for public viewing. More than 500 people per event will be able to have their pictures taken with the trophy.
Youngsters will compete in a football tournament
Coca-Cola has been an official sponsor of the World Cup since 1978, and is a primary supporter of soccer development programmes across the world. For this year's tournament, it is committed to playing a vital role in growing youngsters.
One of the programmes the company runs is Water for Schools, which will be implemented in 100 schools across the country as a community based programme. Through it, clean drinking water and sanitation facilities will be built for thousands of schoolchildren and their immediate communities.
Another programme is Coca-Cola Football Stars, which aims to develop under-18 football talent across the globe. Youngsters from around the world will compete in the tournament, which is not just about football glory, but about respecting diversity and forging friendships with players from different backgrounds and cultures.
"These programmes are made possible in order to tie together the extraordinary power that football has to unite people," said Zayd Abrahams, the head of marketing and sparkling beverages of Coca-Cola South Africa.
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