http://www.southafrica.net/2010Get the latest newsen-ukFri, 08 May 2009Fri, 08 May 2009 00:00:00 EST1http://www.southafrica.net/2010/images/rssIcon.gifFri, 08 May 2009 00:00:00 ESThttp://www.southafrica.net/2010NewsMulti million rand campaign will reach more than 600 million people between now and kick off

INDABA 2009 will see South African tourism dish up a feast of activities and activations designed to get South Africa and the world dancing to the 2010 beat.

The IDABA travel trade show, one of the top three in the world, opened officially in Durban today with the launch of host South African Tourism’s diski dance television and film commercial that leverages the country’s status as 2010 FIFA World Cup™ host nation.

The 60 second commercial takes its inspiration from South Africa’s uniquely flamboyant football style—diski. Diski football becomes a dance that almost anyone, anywhere can learn and will, as the multi-million rand global campaign rolls out, become the definitive hallmark of the first African World Cup. It will be screened on major global television networks (BBC World, CNN International, Sky, EuroSport, Fox) and will reach more than 600 million consumers between now and kick-off. It represents a multi-million rand investment by South African Tourism.

The campaign will also be run in South Africa. Thanks to a partnership between South African Tourism and the International Marketing Council (IMC), the commercial will be screened on each of the SABC television channels.

“This will take the dance and welcoming spirit of 2010 to millions of South Africans. It will also give the campaign the domestic traction that it needs if South Africans are to truly welcome the world to this great celebration,” says Sugen Pillay, South African Tourism’s Head of Marketing for 2010.

Indaba will also see the launch of South African Tourism’s 2010 Campaign Website, as well as a specifically designed Indaba 2010 mobisite. These will be hosted and displayed at the 2010 Stand and go live on 9 May just after the Opening Ceremony. Both sites can be accessed via South African Tourism’s newly designed Website www.southafrica.net.

Pillay says both the commercial and the dance give evidence of South African’s sense of fun and inclusiveness whilst demonstrating to both ourselves and the world how committed we are as a nation to global sport spectacular.

After the launch of the campaign at the INDABA Opening Ceremony, the famous Indaba Beach Party will be given over to bringing the diski dance to life in the form of dance demonstrations and lessons from a company of specially trained Diski Dancers.

The IMC and South African Tourism will host a media briefing at INDABA on 11 May to launch the campaign domestically.

“This campaign is for the people of South Africa. This is our World Cup and we invite all to learn the Diski Dance and heartily welcome the world to the great party that this Word Cup is going to be,” says Pillay.
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Thanks to his sponsor adidas, we were able to track down the star Bafana midfielder and have him answer your burning questions.

1. Do you think ‘Mbazo’ Mokoena deserves to be in the national team, and if so, captain? If yes - what is his role off field since his on-field performances seem not to justify his selection ahead of natural defenders who perform better than him?
It’s not for me to judge my fellow teammates but I think Aaron deserves his place in the team. In the last few games that I have played, he’s done well and he has great experience, having played 10 years in Europe. He has the respect of the group.

2. I’ve been following your career quite closely and have seen you play in a number of different midfield positions. Please put all the speculation to rest and tell us what is your preferred position?
I’m equally at home in the middle or on either of the flanks. Throughout my career I’ve played all across the midfield so I am happy to play where the coach wants me to play. It’s a team game – so you need to play where it is best for the team.

3. You are up to now the revelation of the season in the English Premiership. Will you say you were under-used at your previous teams in Holland and Germany?
No. At Ajax I was a valuable member of a good team that included a midfield of Wesley Sneijder, Rafael van der Vaart and myself. I was a starting lineup player whenever I was fit. At Dortmund... that was just a transfer that didn’t work out. These things happen in football. But English football gets far more television coverage than Dutch or German leagues so it just appears now that things are different and suddenly people think that I have improved beyond recognition.

4. What keeps you motivated as there are so many talented youngsters that just waste their gifts to end up as a statistic. What makes you different?
Believing in my talent and myself. I have had setbacks with some long spells being injured and then a spell on the bench at Dortmund. You need to have mental strength in these situations. Luckily I have a good support group around me, people that keep me focused and with my feet on the ground. I am also still hungry for success and always want to improve. Probably most of all, the two most important things are the support and love of my Mom (who is always on my case!) and my belief in God.

5. What do you miss most about being out of South Africa?
My family, my baby, the weather and the food!

6. Are footballers like cricketers - Do you have any superstitions like a favourite pair of undies, or a specific route that you take to training or matches?
No. But I always wear a vest under my match jersey that says, “God is Great”.

7. Who is the most formidable opponent you have come up against both in the English Premiership and for Bafana?
Jose Bosingwa, the defender of Chelsea. He’s quick, works up and down the line and is very competitive. A difficult opponent.

8. Steven, you are competing on the grandest of stages. As a player are you still overawed by rubbing shoulders with the superstars?
No. We are all human beings who have a career doing something that we love. We enjoy and respect the various skills that our fellow professionals show but “star-struck”…..no!

9. Is your best still ahead of you and what can we expect from you in the Confed and World Cups?
As with all games, I will give 100% effort and commitment to try help SA to perform as best as possible. They say that a player peaks at 28-years-old, so my best years must be coming up!

10. Our national team selection is very inconsistent. Why is this and does it affect the team?
I disagree. Coach Santana has been quite consistent with the core of players that he has chosen in the past 12 months – he has just added a few players here and there and tried out a few different combinations (which is normal when wanting to try get to a winning combination).

11. Why did you leave Ajax where you were always guaranteed to compete on Europe’s bigger stage (champion's league) but are now playing for a side that does not even challenge for the premiership title?
Any professional constantly wants to be challenged and test himself in new surroundings. My time at Ajax was great and I won whatever I could at Dutch league level. But being challenged week in and week out in leagues such as England, Spain or Italy is what really counts. Playing Champions League is an obvious bonus and that’s what we strive for.

12. Is enough being done to groom young players for our national squad?
No. Youth development seems not to be as much a priority with PSL clubs as it should be. It’s essential that we realise that tomorrow’s stars are today’s youngsters that are in real need of expert input from a young age. Otherwise they will never become “stars” in the real sense of the word.

13. South Africa will host the 2010 Soccer World Cup next year, What are our chances of moving past the group stages of the soccer showpiece?
Depends on what group we are drawn in. Every country at WC 2010 needs its share of good luck!

14. How would you rate Bafana Bafana players compared to their European counterparts?
Biggest differences are discipline tactical awareness. Also, the attitude of European league players to training is very different – it is taken more seriously, it’s more focussed and intense. And as they say, “you do in matches what you do in training”!

15. What is life like in Liverpool? Do you have to avoid the “red half” of the city or is there an atmosphere of club tolerance?
There are no areas that are out of bounds to the players, so to speak. The banter is mostly always good-hearted and not aggressive towards the players.

16. Who is your best friend at Everton and why?
Yakubu because we come from similar backgrounds and we often talk together about all sorts of things. I’ve also become quite good friends with Fellaini and have tried to help him settle in as quickly as possible. I know from my Dortmund days what it can be like moving to a big club and into a city where you cannot speak the language.

17. Are Everton building into a force capable of getting into the Champions League fairly shortly?
If we get 4 or 5 more quality players, we could make the jump. We have proved that we can be consistent and that we have fantastic work ethic and fighting spirit but we need that bit “extra” to move onto the next level.]]>Tue, 05 May 2009 00:00:00 ESThttp://www.southafrica.net/2010News
The current World Player of the Year has won just about every major honour at club level, but he has yet to replicate that success for Portugal.

Ronaldo was a member of the Portuguese side that suffered a heartbreaking 1-0 defeat to Greece in the Euro 2004 final in Lisbon and was also involved when his team were dumped out of the 2006 World Cup by France.

When asked about these near misses, the 24-year-old said: "I want to put that right one day. And why not in South Africa?"

Although Ronaldo has won the FA Cup, the English Premier League and the Champions League with Manchester United, the winger-cum-centre forward is not ready to rest on his laurels.

The former Sporting Lisbon player is bullish about what he wants to achieve and is hoping to help the Portuguese to win their first ever World Cup.

"I know I have a achieved a lot already, but I like to live in the present and not look into the past," he explained.

"I always want to progress in this sport and win more titles and trophies. And above all, I always dream of winning the World Cup with my country Portugal."

"Winning the Champions League with Manchester United was incredible so I can't even begin to think what winning the World Cup with your country would be like! It would be an amazing feeling."

However, Carlos Queiroz's team are currently languishing in third position in World Cup qualifying Group 1 and face the very real possibility of missing the showpiece tournament in South Africa.

But Ronaldo is eager to make his mark in 2010 and feels Africa's first World Cup is going to be memorable.

He said: "Everyone feels that a World Cup in South Africa is going to be special."]]>Courtesy of Football365Sun, 03 May 2009 00:00:00 ESThttp://www.southafrica.net/2010News
David Moyes' side already have an FA Cup final clash against Chelsea to look forward to later this month and are almost certain to have European soccer on their agenda again next season following this convincing victory.

South African midfielder Steven Pienaar opened the scoring early in the second half and record-signing Marouane Fellaini's late strike ensured Everton leapfrogged Aston Villa.

Although Villa can regain fifth place with a win over relegation-threatened Hull on Monday, Moyes' men are now just one point away from wrapping up a spot in the Europa League.

Ricky Sbragia's Sunderland face a nervous end to the season after a defeat which leaves them just four points clear of the bottom three with three games to play.

Sunderland suffered an early blow when Steed Malbranque was forced off for nine minutes after a clash of heads with Australian star Tim Cahill that left the Frenchman needing stitches.

Jo, Pienaar combined well

When Malbranque eventually returned, Sunderland were clinging on as Cahill's header was punched away by keeper Marton Fulop.

Australia midfielder Cahill threatened again with a long-range strike in the 12th minute.

Everton were well on top and Jo and Pienaar combined well on the edge of the penalty area before the Brazilian fired just past the far post.

Sbragia's team went close with 27 minutes gone when Grant Leadbitter took aim from 20 yards, but his low drive sped past the post.

Anton Ferdinand had to get in a good block to deny Pienaar and fullback Phil Bardsley had to do the same to keep out Jo's effort seconds later after the home side had failed to clear their lines.

Leighton Baines almost caught Fulop out as his mishit free-kick sailed just over the bar before half-time.

Everton continued to dominate after the break and took the lead in the 48th minute when Jo held off Ferdinand before sliding the ball through to Pienaar, who poked his shot past Fulop.

The Black Cats might have been back on level terms within two minutes when defender Danny Collins met Leadbitter's corner with a firm header, but he directed the ball straight at Tim Howard.

Kieran Richardson forced Howard into a save with a curling free-kick but Sunderland never looked secure at the back and Fellaini sealed the points for Everton in the 71st minute.

Calum Davenport backed away from Pienaar after he had been found in space on the right and he squared for Fellaini to shoot past Fulop.]]>SAPAFri, 01 May 2009 00:00:00 ESThttp://www.southafrica.net/2010News
Approximately 100 000 tickets will be made available for this phase, excluding the two semi-finals and the final (matches 61, 62 and 64). From now on, the tickets will be allocated on a first-come, first-served basis. Applications can be made at First National Bank (FNB) branches or via the FIFA website (www.FIFA.com).

South African football fans who wish to apply at FNB branches will have to present a valid form of identification, while foreigners are required to show their passport. Those who wish to apply on behalf of friends or family will have to provide the details of these persons, including their identity numbers, names, dates of birth and nationality. Each applicant can apply for up to four tickets per match and up to seven matches in total. Ticket prices start at USD 20 (ZAR 140). You will be informed within ten working days whether or not your application has been successful (fully or partly). For further information, customers can send an e-mail to enquiries@2010FWCTC.com or fax +41 43222 6800.

Tickets will be ready for collection at the FIFA venue ticketing centres from April 2010 onwards.

FIFA Confederations Cup 2009 (14-28 June):

Some 320 000 tickets are still available. In order to boost ticket sales in South Africa, four ticketing centres have been set up. The main ticketing centre at Sandton Isle (situated at the corner of Rivonia Road and Linden Street, Sandown/Johannesburg) will be open from 1 May 2009, while the venue ticketing centres at Mangaung/Bloemfontein (Lochlogan Waterfront Mall, situated at the corner of Charles Street and 1st Avenue), Tshwane/Pretoria (Brooklyn Mall, situated at the corner of Middel and Fehrsen Street, New Muckleneuk) and Rustenburg (Waterfall Mall, 1 Augrabies Avenue) will be open from 4 May 2009. The ticket centres will be open from 09:00–18:00, seven days a week.

South African residents will be able to purchase FIFA Confederations Cup 2009 tickets by calling the FIFA ticketing call centre on 083 2010 010 when its lines open on 11 May 2009.

Moreover, as from 11 May, four ticket collection points (two each in Johannesburg and Tshwane/Pretoria) will be provided in the following FNB branches:

- Eastgate Shopping Centre, Gardenview 2047

- Maponya Mall, Old Potchedstroom Road, Klipspruit Kliptown

- Sunny Park, situated at the corner of Esselen and Trevenna Road, Sunnyside

- Hatfield, Hillcrest Blvd Shopping Centre, Lynwood Road

These collection points will be open during normal FNB trading hours.

At all locations the customers need to bring their:

- credit card (if they used the card to purchase their tickets via www.FIFA.com);

- ticket purchase card from their hard ticket application form (if they used the paper application form to purchase tickets);

- proof of identity to confirm they are the person who ordered the tickets.]]>Mon, 20 Apr 2009 00:00:00 ESThttp://www.southafrica.net/2010News
That was a massive increase from the R22 billion FIFA received for the past two World Cups combined, FIFA TV director Niclas Ericson told a media briefing in Johannesburg on Monday.

FIFA was also making the 2010 spectacle available to millions of fans via their cellphones worldwide.

FIFA would spend an estimated R1.5 billion on TV production for the world showpiece. However, Ericson said he was expecting a viewership of just over 26 billion worldwide for the duration of the month-long tournament, the same number that watched the 2006 event in Germany.

Said Ericson: "It is difficult to estimate the viewership expected. Had a country like China with 1.3 billion people qualified for the World Cup, then viewership would have soared.

"But although we are not quite at saturation point, it is difficult to estimate how many viewers we will have even in Africa. It depends on how well African teams fare in the World Cup, but we expect it will be roughly the same as in 2006."

Ericson said FIFA would give Africa a better deal for the 2010 finals. "We have entered an agreement with the African Union of Broadcasters to place the TV rights in 41 sub-Saharan countries before the end of 2009. The dream would be for an African team top reach the final, which would boost TV viewership.

"We expect Africa to support whichever country from the continent goes the farthest in the World Cup, but we want to make sure the event is available to as many Africans as possible as this is an African event."

FIFA would now do the broadcast in-house with HBS as the host broadcaster and the SABC as the official broadcaster. The CEO of HBS Francis Tellier, also announced that all World Cup matches would be available on cellphones worldwide.

Said Tellier: "Not everyone can get to a TV screen when the matches are being played. Therefore we have worked out a way of ensuring that the matches, results and updates etc will be available on mobile (cell) phones. This is a big innovation and we believe it will be well received."

Tellier also said the quality of the broadcasts would be the highest ever. Instead of a maximum of 25 cameras used in Germany in 2006, the 2010 event would see a minimum of 29 and up to 32 cameras used for the final and bigger matches.

Ericson added a FIFA TV crew would travel with every participating team and would produce features for all broadcasters.

The Confederations Cup would be a test event as regards TV and telecommunications and planning was on track.

Said Ericson: "The Confederations Cup tickets sales are doing well. We expect all stadiums to be full. That event gives us the chance to see where we can improve and rectify mistakes for the bigger 2010 World Cup."]]>Thu, 16 Apr 2009 00:00:00 ESThttp://www.southafrica.net/2010News
"Out of the total of 1,862,319 tickets requested from 205 countries, 555 871 tickets were drawn successfully.

"Of those, 245,948 tickets were drawn to South African residents - this corresponds to 44 percent of all tickets successfully drawn during this first phase of ticket sales."

The random selection draw, completed by a computer program, took place on Wednesday over a period of two hours at the UK offices of MATCH Services, the company involved in ticketing for the cup.

Besides South Africa, the highest number - 69 208 tickets - went to United States residents.

United Kingdom soccer lovers picked up 39 421 tickets and German football fans received 29 330 tickets.

"From the applications received, the most popular team was England, for which a total of 228 822 team-specific tickets (TST) were requested"

However the total number of available TSTS for England was 8895.

The most popular individual match category ticket was category four.

"The most heavily oversubscribed match was the final, by a factor of 3000 per cent," said FIFA.

The draw was conducted in the presence of a public notary.

Each applicant was able to apply for a maximum of four tickets per match and for a maximum of seven matches. A check to ensure no multiple applications went through during the draw was done.

David Will, FIFA Honorary Vice-President and chairman of the FIFA Ticketing Sub-Committee, said the electronic random selection draw ensured the whole procedure remained fair.

"We would have liked to please even more football fans at this stage, but there will be other ticket sales phases," he said.

Organising Committee CEO Danny Jordaan said he was happy to see that many South Africans had secured tickets.

"Of course we will continue to encourage all other South Africans as well as fellow Africans to apply for their tickets during the second phase so as not to miss out on this once in a lifetime experience."

Until the end of April applicants will be informed via sms or email as to whether or not they were successful.

South African applicants who do not hear anything by the end of the month should contact the ticketing centre at enquiries@2010FWCTC.co.za, or 083-1232010.

FIFA said the second ticket phase would begin on May 4 and remain open until November 16.

"During this second sales phase, tickets will be allocated on a "first come, first served, subject to availability" basis"

These tickets will then be ready for collection at ticketing centres by April 2010.

In the meantime, FIFA said over 300 000 tickets had been requested for the 2009 Confederations Cup, accounting for nearly half of the tickets available for the event.]]>SapaWed, 01 Apr 2009 00:00:00 ESThttp://www.southafrica.net/2010News
Approximately 30 percent of the applications have come from South African residents, with 70 percent from the rest of the world. Applications were received from well over 150 countries, with tickets for the opening match and the final in Johannesburg’s Soccer City stadium on 11 July 2010 in most demand.

Team specific ticket series applications account for more than 50 percent of the applications. There were no problems experienced with the order procedures during the first ticket sales phase.

The highest number of ticket applications came from residents in South Africa, followed by those from the USA, the United Kingdom, Germany, Italy and Australia, in that order. The most popular category on average was Category 3.

“This impressive total underlines the extraordinary level of interest all over the globe. Not surprisingly, the opening match and the final are most sought after. But we are delighted that the team specific series is in such big demand, even before the actual fixtures for the tournament are known,” said David Will, FIFA Honorary Vice-President and Chairperson of the FIFA Ticketing Sub-Committee.

All applications received will be entered into a random selection draw which will be held on 15 April 2009. Applicants will be informed, either via email or SMS, by the end of this month at the latest, letting them know whether their application was successful or not.

Further details on the first round of applications will be made available after all the data has been processed following the Draw.

“It is very pleasing to see the huge global interest in the first African FIFA World Cup. We want to encourage even more South Africans and Africans to apply for their FIFA World Cup tickets during the next sales phase, so they do not miss out on this unique once-in-a-lifetime experience,” said Danny Jordaan, CEO of the 2010 Organising Committee.

The ticketing application site on www.FIFA.com will remain closed until the second sales phase, which will start on 4 May 2009, and will then remain open until 16 November.

Tickets will then be allocated on a first come, first served basis, subject to availability in this sales period, i.e. applications will be processed in the order they are received.]]>Sport24Sun, 29 Mar 2009 00:00:00 ESThttp://www.southafrica.net/2010News
Of the 640,000 tickets available for the eight-nation "Championship of Champions", held in the World Cup host nation a year before the big event, FIFA has sold less than 200,000 tickets so far, Valcke told reporters in Johannesburg.

To avoid the spectacle of the likes of Brazil and Italy playing in sparsely-populated stadiums, FIFA has bumped the proportion of cheap category-four tickets from 18 per cent to 25 per cent of tickets and relaxed rules barring individuals or companies from bulk buying.

Companies and private persons can now buy "thousands" of tickets if they promise not to resell them or cross swords with FIFA sponsors, he said.

The June 14-28 Confederations Cup is seen as a dry run for the 2010 World Cup, in terms of South Africa's preparedness.

Valcke was in South Africa to get a taste of what a World Cup game might be like by attending a South Africa-Norway game in the first of 10 World Cup stadiums to reopen after a facelift.

On the basis of Saturday's game in the Royal Bafokeng Stadium in Rustenburg, North-West province, stadium access had emerged as "critical," he said.

The stadium, which the organizers said had nearly sold out, was half-full for much of the action after fans were held up by stringent security at checkpoints erected two kilometres from the venue.

"We have to work on this critical issue," Valcke said. Another area of concern was punctuality, after the match started two minutes late, he said, while saying he was impressed by the stadium quality.

The game, which South Africa won 2-1, was overshadowed by the government's refusal to grant the Dalai Lama a visa to attend a conference last week on the role of football in propagating peace.

The Tibetan spiritual leader had been scheduled to attend the Rustenburg match after the conference that was called off when other prominent Nobel Peace Prize winners, including Archbishop emeritus Desmond Tutu, pulled out in solidarity with the Dalai Lama.

FIFA has refused to comment on the government's decision but Valcke did say he was "surprised" to hear the government invoke the World Cup as a reason to bar the Dalai Lama.

He was referring to government's early assertion that it did not want the Dalai Lama to siphon attention away from the World Cup to Tibet. A government spokesman later admitted South Africa had felt compelled to choose between its trade ties with China and the Dalai Lama.

Asked what would happen if the Dalai Lama applied for tickets to the World Cup, Valcke would only say that South Africa was obliged to grant a visa to "every person invited by FIFA, whomever it is," while adding: "For the time being, there is no invitation (from FIFA to the Tibetan)."

Valcke also downplayed concerns that the global economic downturn could threaten the success of the World Cup, while admitting the effects were already being felt on sales of hospitality packages.

Of the 250,000 World Cup tickets available in hospitality packages, only 60,000 tickets have been sold in the first month of ticket sales - fewer than usual for that type of package.

South Africa is hoping to attract over 400,000 foreign visitors to the tournament, despite signs that hard-pressed European consumers are already cutting back on overseas travel.

"The fans, they will come," Valcke assured. ]]>SapaThu, 26 Mar 2009 00:00:00 ESThttp://www.southafrica.net/2010News
Thirteen of the coveted final 32 places in the 2010 FIFA World Cup tournament in South Africa will be filled by teams from Europe, with Jordaan's briefing very positively received by some of the key figures in world football.

At the invitation of UEFA president Michel Platini, Jordaan assured UEFA member associations at the congress that South Africa's stadiums were on course to be completed by October this year, in line with its FIFA deadlines.

He also updated them about the country's transport, safety and fan park plans for the first African World Cup, taking place in June next year. Jordaan also briefed the UEFA delegates about preparations for the FIFA Confederations Cup 2009, which kicks off in June this year, and which will feature reigning UEFA champions Spain and reigning world champions Italy from Europe.

"UEFA is a very important stakeholder and it is important that we keep them briefed on our progress. Not only will Europe bring the highest number of teams to South Africa in 2010, but the European football associations also have well established fan clubs and we need to work with them to bring those fans to South Africa next year," Jordaan said after his address to UEFA Wednesday.

A substantial number of the anticipated 450 000 international visitors who will travel to South Africa for the 2010 FIFA World Cup are expected to come from Europe, with the likes of England, the Netherlands and Germany traditionally having among the largest fan bases at tournaments.

"Already well over 800 000 applications have been received for the 743 000 tickets that have been made available in this first round of ticket sales, many of them coming from fans in Europe. This means that the tournament is already oversubscribed, but it is still of utmost importance that the associations know exactly what to expect in South Africa in 2010," said Jordaan.

"The event is of interest to all associations," said UEFA president Michel Platini as he welcomed Jordaan onto the stage at the congress.

"The presentation was excellent and really gives confidence to member associations that everything in South Africa is well on track," commented Geoff Thompson, England's former Football Association chairman who was re-elected as a UEFA vice president at the congress, after Jordaan's briefing.

"The stadiums look superb and we are also very impressed by the number of security personnel that will be deployed to secure the event and by the country's track record in hosting major events. To have a World Cup in Africa is something many of us have dreamed of for years and without a doubt entrusting South Africa with the event has been well placed," Thompson added.

Thompson said that the number of tickets already purchased by UK fans was evidence that English fans are gearing up in their thousands to travel with their team next year.

There were also warm words of praise for South Africa's 2010 preparations from German football legend Franz Beckenbauer.

"I am convinced that it will be a wonderful World Cup. With the organising talent that South Africa has, the country has nothing to worry about," said Beckenbauer, a current FIFA executive member who was the chairman of Germany's 2006 FIFA World Cup Organising Committee.

Beckenbauer's compatriot, the German Football Association (DFB) Secretary-General Wolfgang Niersbach, echoed his sentiments.

"We continue to believe South Africa will deliver a successful tournament. Whatever else, the country must host its own World Cup, reflective of its people and the continent. I believe the event will go along way to changing the world's perceptions about Africa," said Niersbach.

In attendance at the congress, South African ambassador to Denmark, Dolana Msimang, said that she was proud of her country's efforts to host the event and also emphasised the support from the Danish people as South Africa prepares to host the first tournament on African soil.]]>Sport24