Cuban TV to show all World Cup matches live for first time

England soccer player Michael Dawson leaves London's Heathrow Airport for South Africa, on Friday. Dawson was at home when he got the phone call to say England's Rio Ferdinand had picked up an injury in training in the morning and he was told a car was on its way and he was flying to South Africa to replace him in the World Cup. Photo: AP.

For the first time, Cuban television is set to broadcast live all the matches of the upcoming World Cup, even though Cuba did not qualify, the official daily Granma said on Friday.

Football has limited popularity in a country where baseball and boxing rule.

“Although the football World Cup has been broadcast fully in Cuba since 1994, this will be the first time that every match is broadcast live. Something which will, by the way, be available for very few nations,” the Cuban Communist Party daily said.

“In Cuba, many people must already be imagining themselves sitting before their television screen, to fully enjoy everything that happens in this World Cup,” it said.

Due to the time difference with South Africa, most games will take place when it’s early morning in Cuba.

Granma on Friday published a World Cup special with the players’ names and match times.

It also said that the matches of the upcoming Volleyball World League, in which Cuba will be playing, will also be broadcast live.