OWN CORRESPONDENT, London | Monday 10.00pm.
FIFA president Sepp Blatter dealt a blow to England’s chances of staging the 2006 World Cup on Monday when he emerged from a meeting with British Prime Minister Tony Blair to say it would be “logical” for the tournament to be held in Africa.
Blatter said after a 45-minute meeting with Blair and sports minister Tony Banks that he was looking for an African country to fulfil the criteria for staging the event.
Banks immediately shrugged off the comments, saying England was ready to hold the tournament and only awaited the completion of the new national stadium at Wembley to finalise preparations.
Bidding for the 2006 World Cup opens next month with England and South Africa thought by British officials to be the front-runners.
But Blatter underlined that he was expecting a host of proposals from other countries including Germany, Egypt and Nigeria.
England, which staged the 1996 European championship, last hosted the World Cup in 1966. No country from Africa has yet hosted a World Cup finals tournament.