JOHANNESBURG, South Africa — The official World Cup ball is called the Jabulani, from the Zulu word meaning to celebrate, but few goalkeepers will be throwing a party for it.
American ‘keeper Marcus Hahnemann was the latest to criticize the Adidas invention on Thursday when he called it a “nightmare.”
Italy’s Gianluigi Buffon said the Jabulani was unpredictable — at best. Brazil’s Julio Cesar compared it with a ball you’d buy at a grocery store and just about the entire Denmark squad are unhappy with it.
It’s now caused a row between Brazil coach Dunga and FIFA secretary general Jerome Valcke.
Valcke suggested Brazil may be preparing to use the ball as an excuse for a poor performance at the World Cup.
“It’s months now since the ball has been put into the market by Adidas,” Valcke said, questioning the timing of the complaints from the five-time World Cup winner. “Is it Brazil that says that because they are afraid that they will not make it?”
Dunga hit back from Brazil’s camp in Johannesburg on Thursday.
“He (Valcke) is a guy who never got on the field. I want him to be here in our practice and we will give him the ball to see if he can control it.”
It all started with Cesar, the Inter Milan and Brazil goalkeeper, who likened the Jabulani to a cheap supermarket ball. Light, floaty and utterly unpredictable. Spain goalie Iker Casillas said it was “in an appalling condition,” and England’s David James thinks it’s “dreadful” and “horrible.”
Buffon, Italy’s 2006 World Cup-winning ’keeper, said “every touch comes with the unknown.”
Former England goalkeeper Gordon Banks, who pulled off one of the saves of the century from Brazil’s Pele at the 1970 World Cup, said it was killing the art of goalkeeping.
“It’s too light, it moves around in the air, up and down, side to side. It doesn’t give the goalkeeper a chance,” Banks said.
The Jabulani, or “Joke-ball-lani,” as some fans in South Africa are dubbing it, is the 11th Adidas version of the official World Cup ball.
According to Adidas’ website it has eight thermally bonded panels and a futuristic texture giving players full control over the ball under all weather conditions. Adidas also says on its website the ball is perfectly round and even more accurate than ever before.