South Africa stood out brightly during the official 2010 World Cup bid presentations on Tuesday with a slick and professional package that included video messages from South African President Thabo Mbeki, national hero Nelson Mandela and British soccer star David Beckham.
Morocco, making its fourth bid to host the World Cup, delivered a similarly snappy and upbeat presentation based on its cultural diversity and geographic proximity to Europe, while actor Omar Sharif made a forceful appearance to support Egypt’s bid. Tunisia played up its touristic appeal and Libya underlined its strong financial means.
”I am a happy man today,” said Fifa President Sepp Blatter. ”All the bids are African and it has always been a dream of mine to see the World Cup in Africa.”
Fifa, soccer’s international governing body, has announced that the 2010 World Cup will be reserved for an African country. The continent, which has never hosted the four-yearly event, was angered when Germany beat South Africa for the 2006 tournament by 12 votes to 11 after a last-minute abstention by New Zealand’s delegate.
”It was wonderful to see the presentations and the wonderful diversity of Africa in the candidatures,” Blatter said. ”Right now all the bids are equal. They are all starting on the same footing.”
But South Africa had the most polished presentation with a strong North American-style video and clear, concise speeches and arguments, reflecting its investment into the 2006 bid.
”The successful hosting of the Fifa World Cup in Africa will provide a powerful, irresistible momentum to this African renaissance,” Mbeki said in a video message. ”We are bidding to stage this tournament because we believe that, in democratic South Africa, we are best equipped to present a safe, joyful, significant and memorable World Cup.”
South Africa reminded Fifa of its experience in hosting international events, such as the 1995 Rugby World Cup, the African Nations Cup of Football in 1996, the 1999 All African Games and the ICC Cricket World Cup last year.
It also played its political card.
”It is important in a country where democracy is only burgeoning to be able to seize such an opportunity,” Mandela concluded winningly via video transmission with Beckham smiling beside him.
”If you give us your support, others will follow.”
South Africa also reminded Fifa it had 80% of its stadiums already built — normally considered an advantage in any candidature for sporting events.
However, Blatter pointed out that venue construction in Libya — which would be virtually starting from scratch — is a positive thing for the country. The country is the only one of those bidding that has never played at the World Cup finals.
Libya, whose delegation was led by Saadi Gadhafi, son of leader Moammar Gadhafi, said it is expecting to invest about $9-billion in the event and $3,6-billion into its stadiums and accommodations — a stunning figure next to Egypt, which said it would spend $1,5 billion.
”What impressed me was the legacy you are giving with your bid,” Blatter said. ”You are not only thinking for today but for tomorrow.”
Libya boasted it has one of the lowest crime rates in Africa, has low tourist violence and is centrally located.
In addition to their individual bids, Tunisia and Libya presented Fifa with the idea of getting together for a joint effort, but met with strong opposition.
”As long as there are valid individual bids capable of hosting the World Cup, there is no question of anyone co-hosting it,” Blatter declared.
Japan and South Korea jointly hosted the World Cup in 2002, an organisational headache for Fifa, which subsequently ruled that in future the World Cup would only be staged in a single country.
Egypt, which fielded teams in the 1934 and 1990 World Cups, stressed its strategic geographic position ”at a crossroads in the centre of the world” and its easy access. In addition, all eight stadiums hosting World Cup matches would be within an hour of Cairo.
Morocco played heavily on its geographical position, which it insisted is the most easily accessible from North America, Europe, Asia and the other African countries.
Nigeria announced its withdrawal from the bid on Monday due to a lack of funds, though Fifa said it had not received any official confirmation from the country. Nigeria still had until midnight Tuesday to present an official bid to Fifa’s general secretariat.
Fifa will now examine each prospective host country and present a draft report to the executive committee.
The final decision will be made at the end of April or beginning of May 2004, sometime before Fifa’s centennial anniversary on May 20. — Sapa-AP