FIFA Considers Banning Brazil's Official World Cup Instrument From Stadiums

First, there was the vuvuzela, "South Africa's much-criticised World Cup trumpet whose dull blare annoyed millions of football fans," according to James Hider of the LONDON TIMES. Brazil's official musical instrument for the World Cup has run into problems, "being banned by police at a match on Sunday" and with FIFA reconsidering whether or not to endorse the caxirola. On their first outing, "the referee had to stop the game to allow players to clear away hundreds of the rattles that had been thrown on to the pitch." On Sunday, "police in northeastern Bahia state decided to ban fans from bringing caxirolas into the stadium for a match, prompting doubts about its future." FIFA said that "it is now reconsidering whether the instrument should even be allowed into games during the Confederations Cup," which starts next month and is the unofficial trial run for the 2014 World Cup (LONDON TIMES, 5/13).