The official World Cup ball for the 2010 FIFA World Cup is, its makers claim, the most accurate ball ever. The adidas Jabulani (which means ‘to celebrate’ in the South African Bantu language of IsiZula) has been designed to fly through the air with deadly accuracy, even at altitude.
The ball is made up of eight thermally bonded 3-D panels and features newly developed ‘Grip n Groove’ technology. The panels are for the first time spherically moulded , making the ball rounder than ever before (which is obviously a bonus). The integrated grooves have been designed to make this the most stable ball adidas has developed, while the dimpled surface makes it easier to grip and control, whatever the weather, and allows more spin to be put on the Jabulani when kicked.
In other words, there are no excuses for England’s dead ball experts come June and July. £80 for the match ball and £15 for the replica
