South African President Thabo Mbeki is to meet the Federation Internationale de Football Association (Fifa) Technical Inspection Team while it is in South Africa to inspect the country’s capacity to host the 2010 World Cup.
In a statement the presidency said Mbeki would receive ”a courtesy call” from the team on Friday morning at the Union Buildings.
The five-person Fifa team — led by Belgium Football Association president Jan Peeters — arrives in the country on Thursday. They will be in the country until November 5.
Former President Nelson Mandela met Fifa president Joseph Blatter at the headquarters of the Fifa last Friday — October 24 — in Zurich. Mandela and Blatter held a private meeting at which the 2010 Fifa World Cup was discussed.
Mandela was in a number of European countries in connection with his Mandela Foundation work.
The 2010 award decision will be taken in May 2004. According to the Fifa website, Mandela said that were it awarded to South Africa it would mean ”a great deal for us as we have been wanting it for so long. Any international match or even creates awareness and lifts the spirit of people”.
Mandela noted that the 1995 Rugby World Cup had united black and white people. – I-Net Bridge