/ 1 March 2000

FIFA IMPRESSED WITH MOROCCO BID

MOROCCO’S bid to host the 2006 World Cup finals is “very, very impressive,” Alan Rothenberg, head of Fifa’s inspection team, said on Monday. “We were impressed by the official commitment to organise the cup. The feeling is something we are very interested in,” he said at the end of the team’s five-day inspection of the country’s bid-related infrastructures. The team toured several cities to inspect stadiums, security, roads, telecommunications and hotel facilities. King Mohammed held a 45-minute meeting with the Fifa team at his palace in Marrakesh on Monday. “He (the king) was abundantly clear in showing his commitment to organise the cup. He said he would do everything in his power to make the bid successful,” Rothenberg said.