OWN CORRESPONDENT, London | Thursday 11.00am.
SOUTH Africa on Wednesday defended its deal with Brazil to back each other’s bids for upcoming football World Cups, and insisted the 2006 event has to go to Africa to give the continent a greater slice of world revenues from soccer.
In an interview with the BBC’s Newsnight program, South African campaign director Danny Jordaan confirmed he had discussed a plan with Brazil whereby the South American country would lobby for South Africa’s 2006 bid and vice versa in 2010.
“Perhaps we have learned from 1993 when England had a discussion with Germany about securing Euro 1996,” Jordaan said. “There are many examples in international sport when countries come together and discuss their mutual interest and see to what extent their can secure certain votes.
“We have gone that route by talking to Brazil and many other confederations,” he said. Under the deal Brazil would withdraw its bid for the 2006 tournament and mount a challenge for the subsequent World Cup four years later.
The development just a month ahead of the final decision on the lucrative 2006 championship from international soccer federation Fifa puts South Africa in the driving seat, though challengers England and Germany said they were undaunted by the new support for South Africa.
“South Africa are not the only ones who have been campaigning hard,” said England campaign director Alec McGivan. “We have had discussions with Argentina and Paraguay on our own and we have good reason to believe we will get those votes if Brazil do pull out.”
But Jordaan said the World Cup had to come to Africa to bring a greater share of the bountiful soccer-dollars to the poor relations of world football.
“It’s about the global economy of the game,” he told the BBC.
“If you want to ensure the future competitiveness of football on the African continent, Africa must get a greater share of the global football economy.
“One of the ways you can achieve that is to bring major events like the World Cup to the continent.”
The other bidder for the 2006 World Cup is Morocco. Fifa makes its decision on July 6. The 2002 World Cup will be held in Japan and South Korea. — AFP