JOHANNESBURG, Feb 9, (Agencies): A new round of World Cup ticket sales kicked off Tuesday, with 400,000 tickets up for grabs on a first come, first served basis, organisers said.
Tickets for 53 matches will be available through April 7 online, or within South Africa at certain bank branches. Eleven matches, including the final, are no longer available because they have already sold out.
“It is important for football fans to note that time is very important when one applies for a ticket. The first come first served principle means that if you do not apply on time, you run the risk of not getting a ticket,” said FIFA’s ticketing boss Horst Schmidt in a statement.
“That is why it is crucial for fans to process their applications speedily.”
In three earlier rounds of sales, fan applied for tickets and had their applications chosen at random.
Two thirds of the three million tickets available for the World Cup have been sold, with just over four months until the June 11 kick off. About half the tickets have gone to South Africans.

Football greats Pele and Franz Beckenbauer have both backed African sides to prosper at this summer’s World Cup in South Africa, when the tournament visits the continent for the very first time.
Pele, a World Cup winner with Brazil in 1958, 1962 and 1970, famously predicted that an African team would win the tournament before the year 2000.
His prediction proved wide of the mark but he expects the continent’s leading lights to fare well on home soil.
“It’s difficult to say what will happen this year, but maybe we will see a surprise,” he told the FIFA website.
“The African teams have tough groups but if they qualify for the knockout stage, there’ll certainly be a surprise.”
Beckenbauer captained hosts West Germany to the trophy in 1974 and he echoed Pele’s optimistic assessment of the African sides’ chances.
“I’m confident that an African team can reach the semi-finals,” Beckenbauer said. “Ghana are strong, Ivory Coast are strong and the South Africans have home advantage.”
Ivory Coast landed themselves in arguably the toughest group of all the African teams and must compete with pre-tournament favourites Brazil, Portugal and North Korea for a place in the knockout phase.
Ghana were drawn alongside Germany, Serbia and Australia in a tight Group D, while Cameroon will face the Netherlands, Denmark and Japan in Group E.
Roger Milla captured the hearts of football fans worldwide with his exploits for Cameroon at the 1990 World Cup in Italy and he views the decision to award this summer’s tournament to South Africa as a victory in itself.
“In Africa, we are so happy to have received this World Cup — we could not believe we would get it,” he said.
“Every time I come to Zurich, I thank (FIFA) president (Sepp) Blatter for that.”
“I’m very happy for Africa,” said the former Real Madrid star.
“To have South Africa hosting the 2010 FIFA World Cup is not only very good for football, but also for the whole African continent.”

Loew buries hatchet with federation: National coach Joachim Loew ended his stand-off with the German Football Federation (DFB) on Tuesday as both parties agreed to plough all their efforts into Germany’s 2010 World Cup campaign.
“We have agreed upon a clear strategy right up to the World Cup,” Loew said during a televised press conference from the DFB’s base in Frankfurt. “We agree that our mutual interest is tied to the build-up to the World Cup over the coming weeks and months and we will prepare the team so that it can enjoy a good tournament.”
Loew confirmed, however, that an extension to his contract, which expires in July this year, will not be discussed until after the World Cup (June 11-July 11).
He added: “We have a very high responsibility, and not just vis-a-vis the DFB for this World Cup, but because we are representing Germany in a competition overseas and behind us there are millions of supporters who want and who of course expect the team to play a good tournament.”

DFB president Theo Zwanziger also confirmed that no contract negotiations would take place before the World Cup, but reiterated his faith in Loew.
“The team needs this coach,” Zwanziger said. “We want success and I say it here and now, such success at the World Cup is only possible with this coach.”
The DFB suspended negotiations over a two-year extension to Loew’s contract, citing wage demands made by Loew and the team’s general manager, Oliver Bierhoff.
Loew had been expected to agree to stay on until the 2012 European Championship and on Sunday he declared himself “very angry” with the DFB’s decision to publicise details of their negotiations.
Bayern Munich president Karl-Heinz Rummenigge had earlier urged the DFB to find a solution with Loew.
The Bayern chief also criticised Bierhoff for having reportedly demanded the right to veto the appointment of Loew’s successor.

Ronaldinho fails to win recall: Ronaldinho’s hopes of a Brazil recall received a sizeable blow on Tuesday when he was left out of Dunga’s squad for the team’s final friendly prior to the World Cup against Ireland on March 2.
The friendly match in London is the squad’s last outing before they travel to South Africa for the tournament and Ronaldinho’s omission suggests Dunga has been unmoved by the winger’s recent return to form with AC Milan.
Robinho, who joined former club Santos on a six-month loan deal from Manchester City last month, has been included in the squad.
Five-time champions Brazil were drawn alongside Portugal, Ivory Coast and North Korea in World Cup Group G.
Squad
Goalkeepers: Julio Cesar (Inter Milan, ITA), Doni (Roma, ITA)
Defenders: Maicon (Inter Milan), Daniel Alves (Barcelona, ESP), Juan (Roma), Lucio (Inter Milan), Luisao (Benfica, POR), Thiago Silva (AC Milan, ITA), Gilberto (Cruzeiro), Michel Bastos (Lyon, FRA)
Midfielders: Gilberto Silva (Panathinaikos, GRE), Josue (Wolfsburg, GER), Felipe Melo (Juventus, ITA), Lucas (Liverpool, ENG), Kaka (Real Madrid, ESP), Ramires (Benfica), Elano (Galatasaray, TUR), Julio Baptista (Roma), Kleberson (Flamengo)
Forwards: Robinho (Santos), Adriano (Flamengo), Nilmar (Villarreal, ESP), Luis Fabiano (Sevilla, ESP)

NZ name top players for Mexico: New Zealand named Tuesday their strongest possible squad for their World Cup warm-up against Mexico in Los Angeles next month, with only two players missing from the team which clinched qualification last year.
Goalkeeper Mark Paston — one of New Zealand’s heroes in the 1-0 two-leg qualification victory against Bahrain after saving a penalty — is still recovering from a fractured leg.
“We haven’t played for nearly four months now and we could be a little rusty,” New Zealand coach Ricki Herbert said.
“Mexico won’t do us any favours but that gets us back to the reality of what we’re going to face in South Africa in June.”
New Zealand will play Mexico on March 3 and travel to Europe in late May for further warm-ups against Serbia and Slovenia.

Squad:
Goalkeepers: Glen Moss (Melbourne Victory/AUS), James Bannatyne (Team Wellington)
Defenders: Tony Lochhead (Wellington Phoenix), Ryan Nelsen (Blackburn Rovers/ENG), Andrew Boyens (New York Red Bulls/USA), Ben Sigmund (Wellington Phoenix), Tommy Smith (Brentford/ENG)
Midfielders: Andy Barron (Team Wellington), Leo Bertos (Wellington Phoenix),
Tim Brown (Wellington Phoenix), Simon Elliott (San Jose Earthquakes/USA), Michael McGlinchey (Motherwell/SCO), Craig Henderson (Mjdllby AIF/SWE)
Forwards: Shane Smeltz (Gold Coast United/AUS), Rory Fallon (Plymouth Argyle/ENG), Chris Killen (Middlesbrough/ENG), Chris Wood (West Bromwich Albion/ENG)

Gullit heads Belgo-Dutch bid: Former world player of the year Ruud Gullit has been named president of the bid committee seeking to stage the football World Cup in Belgium and the Netherlands.
Gullit will head bid delegations throughout the world as the prospective joint-hosts seek to drum up support ahead of FIFA’s decision on the 2018 and 2022 World Cup host late this year.
HollandBelgium Bid CEO Harry Been said Tuesday that Gullit’s “knowledge and background in football” would be a major boost for the bid.
A deal to have the World Cup in Europe in 2018 is reportedly being negotiated and the Belgo-Dutch bid will face England, Russia and a joint bid from Spain and Portugal as its European rivals.
Gullit led the Netherlands to the 1988 European Championships and won the world player of the year in 1987 and 1989.

Indonesia’s bid in question: Indonesia’s bid to host the 2022 football World Cup is growing increasingly uncertain as the deadline for the country’s government to file a letter of support for the bid looms.
Prospective hosts must file a letter by Tuesday showing government support for the bids.
Minister of Youth and Sport Andi Mallarangeng was quoted by the Jakarta Globe newspaper Tuesday saying that Indonesian Football Association has to first focus on improving the standard of football in the country. Mallarangeng said, “After that, we can talk about the World Cup.”
Mallarangeng declined to answer when asked if that meant the government would not support the bid.
Nugraha Besoes, Secretary General of Indonesia’s football association, told state news agency Antara it had not withdrawn its bid.
Calls to Mallarangeng were not immediately returned Tuesday.