No worries about World Cup 2010: Mbeki

BERLIN – South African President Thabo Mbeki said fears that his country was not financially or logistically equipped to host the football World Cup 2010 were unfounded.

Mbeki said South Africa was convinced it could fulfil all of Fifa’s requirements for hosting the event, which has never been held in Africa before. “We engaged in detailed discussion about what Fifa expected of the host country and that included matters of financial guarantees,” he said after talks with German Chancellor Angela Merkel.”So we have done all of the sums and all of the calculations and we are quite satisfied that we will be able to meet these obligations.”Concerns have been voiced about hosting the world’s biggest sports event in a country battling with high crime and lacking in adequate transport infrastructure and hotels.South Africa also needs to upgrade existing football stadiums and build new ones, as the sport lived in the shadow of rugby during the apartheid era.The country is budgeting 5.5 billion rand for stadiums and a further eight billion rand to upgrade airports and the public transport system.Mbeki insisted that the “technical, logistical base for 2010 is quite strong” and said that this year’s budget already contained provisions for the World Cup.He added that South African officials have spent months in Germany learning from the current World Cup and the German organisers have offered to come to South Africa to help plan the next one.”Franz Beckenbauer and the others in the German organising committee have said that as soon as the tournament is over in Germany, they are ready to help us to prepare for 2010.The experience of hosting the cup here in Germany is critically important for us and in this context we will be able to solve problems.We have to draw a great deal from what has happened in this country.”Mbeki said it was not true that South Africans would not be able to attend the football championship in their own country because they are too poor.”You will be surprised at the number of South Africans who are here now, who have paid the airfare, bought the tickets and are staying in hotels.They will have the money in 2010.”Mbeki was attending the final between Italy and France in Berlin on Sunday.Italy won 5-3 on penalties.Meanwhile, Fifa and the European Commission signed a memorandum of understanding for football in Africa, the Caribbean and Pacific countries here on Sunday ahead of the World Cup final.The memorandum is designed to use the world’s most popular sport as a platform for communicating a positive image of Africa, raising awareness of the continent’s potential and to fight against racism and discrimination.”Football has proved yet again it can bring people together,” Fifa President Sepp Blatter said at a signing ceremony with European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso, South African President Thabo Mbeki and EU Development Commissioner Louis Michel.Blatter added: “We share the same message of solidarity in a world that is more and more selfish.Football can be the instrument to create a world full of hope, through better education and health.”Mbeki said football brought hope in even the most desperate of situations.”When young people play football they forget they are poor and in despair.We want to take that to bring them hope and achieve change.”He said he was confident his nation would organise a successful World Cup, having been given the honour of hosting the event in Africa for the first time.- Nampa-AFP”We engaged in detailed discussion about what Fifa expected of the host country and that included matters of financial guarantees,” he said after talks with German Chancellor Angela Merkel.”So we have done all of the sums and all of the calculations and we are quite satisfied that we will be able to meet these obligations.”Concerns have been voiced about hosting the world’s biggest sports event in a country battling with high crime and lacking in adequate transport infrastructure and hotels.South Africa also needs to upgrade existing football stadiums and build new ones, as the sport lived in the shadow of rugby during the apartheid era.The country is budgeting 5.5 billion rand for stadiums and a further eight billion rand to upgrade airports and the public transport system.Mbeki insisted that the “technical, logistical base for 2010 is quite strong” and said that this year’s budget already contained provisions for the World Cup.He added that South African officials have spent months in Germany learning from the current World Cup and the German organisers have offered to come to South Africa to help plan the next one.”Franz Beckenbauer and the others in the German organising committee have said that as soon as the tournament is over in Germany, they are ready to help us to prepare for 2010.The experience of hosting the cup here in Germany is critically important for us and in this context we will be able to solve problems.We have to draw a great deal from what has happened in this country.”Mbeki said it was not true that South Africans would not be able to attend the football championship in their own country because they are too poor.”You will be surprised at the number of South Africans who are here now, who have paid the airfare, bought the tickets and are staying in hotels.They will have the money in 2010.”Mbeki was attending the final between Italy and France in Berlin on Sunday.Italy won 5-3 on penalties.Meanwhile, Fifa and the European Commission signed a memorandum of understanding for football in Africa, the Caribbean and Pacific countries here on Sunday ahead of the World Cup final.The memorandum is designed to use the world’s most popular sport as a platform for communicating a positive image of Africa, raising awareness of the continent’s potential and to fight against racism and discrimination.”Football has proved yet again it can bring people together,” Fifa President Sepp Blatter said at a signing ceremony with European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso, South African President Thabo Mbeki and EU Development Commissioner Louis Michel.Blatter added: “We share the same message of solidarity in a world that is more and more selfish.Football can be the instrument to create a world full of hope, through better education and health.”Mbeki said football brought hope in even the most desperate of situations.”When young people play football they forget they are poor and in despair.We want to take that to bring them hope and achieve change.”He said he was confident his nation would organise a successful World Cup, having been given the honour of hosting the event in Africa for the first time.- Nampa-AFP