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JOHANNESBURG (AP)-FIFA has finally acknowledged that there may be something wrong with the
Jabulani-the South Africa World Cup ball, but won't act on the problem until after the tournament.
Many players have complained that the Jabulani is too unpredictable and flies through the air too easily.
"We're not deaf," FIFA secretary general Jerome Valcke said Saturday at a news conference. "FIFA has
heard about what has been said about the ball."
Valcke said that FIFA would discuss the matter with coaches and teams after the World Cup, then meet
with the manufacturer Adidas. "There are rules for size and weight, but the ball has to be perfect," he added.
But Goalkeepers have complained about the ball at every recent World Cup match.
Brazil's headcoach Dunga got into a quarrel with Valcke over the Jabulani before the tournament,
challenging FIFA officials to come out onto the field and attempt to control it. "The balls have changed over
the last couple of years, they have become a lot faster and in addition to that in Johannesburg we are playing
at an altitude of 1 700 meters, which makes the ball even faster," former Germany goalkeeper Oliver Kahn
said. "Thus the goalkeepers work even harder, but I don't think that we can take the ball or the altitude as
excuses."
Scoring was down by 16 goals in the first round compared to 2006: 117-101. However, teams played a
more defensive style in the group stage in South Africa, so whether the ball was a major factor is difficult to
measure.
Adidas has made the World Cup ball since 1970. The German company says it doesn't know what the
problem is about because all the 32 teams were given the ball before the tournament to test it.
1. Many players have complained that the Jabulani _____.
A. flies too high in the air
B. is too colorful
C. has problems in size and weight
D. is difficult to control
2. When will FIFA seriously look into the problem about the Jabulani?
A. During the South Africa World Cup.
B. After the South Africa World Cup.
C. During the second round of the South Africa World Cup.
D. Before the first round of the South Africa World Cup.
3. It can be inferred that in the past several World Cups _____.
A. the ball became smaller
B. the ball became heavier
C. there was complaint about the ball
D. there was high praise for Adidas
4. Which of the following would Oliver Kahn agree with?
A. The Jabulani is too unpredictable for goalkeepers.
B. Goalkeeper should work harder to control a faster ball.
C. FIFA should test the Jabulani before the World Cup.
D. Players should work hard to change their playing styles.
