OWN CORRESPONDENT, Accra | Friday 6.30pm.
FIFA president Sepp Blatter backed African claims in Accra on Friday that it was their turn to host the World Cup.
“It is logical that the 2006 World Cup should be in Africa,” said Blatter, here for the African Nations Cup which kicks-off on Saturday.
He added that Fifa had already begun an unofficial rotation system for appointing World Cup hosts — the USA in 1994, France in 1998, South Korea and Japan in 2002.
But Blatter warned that all would depend on the report of the Fifa evaluation committee which is visiting the bidding countries.
Earlier this week, committee boss Alan Rotherberg delivered a severe blow to Brazil’s 2006 hopes by saying the stadia were not up to the stiff standards set down by Fifa.
Rothenberg and his team will visit Morocco and South Africa, both vying to become the first African nation to host a World Cup, at the beginning of March.
The Fifa president stressed that he was a friend of Africa.
Fifa’s 24-man executive committee, which includes four African members, will decide on the World Cup 2006 host in Zurich next July.
Opposing Brazil, Morocco and South Africa are England and Germany. — AFP