SOUTH Africa’s bid to overturn the award of the 2006 Soccer World Cup to Germany has been dismissed by FIFA – but the world body has pledged to embrace the principle of rotating future finals around the continents. FIFA’s executive committee unanimously supported a proposal by president Sepp Blatter that, from 2010, the finals would rotate among the world body’s six continental confederations. Blatter also told the executive that the decision to award the World Cup to Germany was final and could not be overturned. South Africa, after taking legal advice, have called on FIFA to agree to take the matter to arbitration, arguing that there were irregularities in the executive committee vote. But Blatter said South Africa’s move was ”inappropriate” and was not backed by the African confederation. Blatter’s move followed the furore caused on July 6 when the FIFA executive voted by 12 votes to 11 to award the 2006 event to Germany rather than South Africa. The World Cup has been staged nine times before in Europe but never in Africa. The idea of rotating the World Cup among the confederations had been rejected before by FIFA’s Congress in 1996 but the controversy which erupted after last month’s vote for Germany brought the issue back to life. – Reuters