February 21 – Brazilian customs announced Wednesday that they had seized 200,000 counterfeit Chinese balls which were being smuggled into the country.
The balls, nabbed by the Inland Revenue Service at the port of Santos, included imitations of the ‘Jabulani’ model, the ball used at the 2010 World Cup, and the ‘Cafusa’, which will be used at the upcoming Confederations Cup.
No arrests were made, as the balls were apprehended as part of ‘Operation Protected Frontiers’. The fake balls will be destroyed.
The selling of counterfeit merchandise is common in Brazil, with the costs of official merchandise often out of reach for the average football fan. Street vendors, commonly seen outside football venues, will not be allowed to operate near World Cup stadiums on match days.
The official ball for the 2014 World Cup will be produced by Adidas. The name was chosen in a poll of Brazilian fans as the ‘Brazuca’ and the ball will be unveiled, after testing is completed, during the final draw on December 6.
The ‘Cafusa’ is available from Adidas in different versions including an official match ball version for $150 and a more affordable ‘replique’ version for $30.
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