by Anton Johan
Fabio Capello has slammed the Jabulani ball that is being used in the World Cup as "terrible" and said that it is the worst ball he has ever come across.
The England coach said yesterday that, in his opinion the ball, was terrible for players. "It is also terrible for the keepers because it is impossible to anticipate the trajectory," he said.
The comments may come after England's disastrous error in the match against the United States which ended in a 1-1 result.
While Robert Green has not plainly blamed the ball for his handling error, he has said that the ball moved unexpectedly after Clint Dempsey hit the shot.
FIFA defended the use of the Jabulani (meaning 'to celebrate' to Zulu) and said that it had been tested at Loughborough University and used in a number of international tournaments and domestic leagues.
The ball was not, however, used by English players in the Premier League due to contract issues between the manufacturers, Adidas, and its rival Nike.
Adidas also defended the ball and said that players had ample time to get used to it. The group said that it should have been used more in practice before the World Cup.
"The big problem is that sometimes the ball is impossible to control," said Capello,
"It is good when you play short passes but when you try to switch the ball with long passes it is very difficult to understand the trajectory," he added.
Other soccer experts have also come out against the Jabulani, with Sven-Goran Eriksson of the Ivory Coast commenting that before introducing a new ball design, goalies should be consulted.
UK goalie, David James, as well as goalkeepers from Italy and Spain also criticized the ball even before the tournament began.
