With a smile, President Thabo Mbeki put his job on the line on Friday in an effort to secure the 2010 Soccer World Cup tournament for South Africa.
He, Deputy President Jacob Zuma and a number of Cabinet ministers had just met a five-man team of inspectors sent by the International Football Federation (Fifa) to assess the country’s ability to host the event.
After the meeting, there was a photo opportunity and a few remarks for the media in the cabinet room at the Union Buildings. It was in this same room where Mbeki heard, three years ago, the announcement of the successful bidder to host the 2006 cup. As Fifa president Sepp Blatter said ”Germany”, one could see his shoulders slump.
But on Friday a hopeful Mbeki who pointed out to Jan Peeters, Belgian soccer chief and head of the Fifa team, that he (Peeters) was sitting in the seat occupied by Zuma during Cabinet meetings.
”If we get the world cup you can come here and get my seat,” he joked.
Peeters indicated he was not so sure about his political aspirations.
On a more serious note, Mbeki said his government, the SA Football Association and the country as a whole would make sure it did whatever was necessary for the privilege of hosting the cup according to Fifa’s standards.
”We ensured the delegation of the full support of the government and of our commitment to put in place all the necessary resources and whatever else is required.”
He and his ministers also hoped to convey the sense of enthusiasm there was in South Africa for soccer.
”We also made the point that … we see this not only as a South African bid, but as an African bid. We would want to make sure that … if the world cup comes here, the whole continent gets a sense of the cup.”
Peeters said Blatter’s announcement a few years ago that the cup should come to Africa, was most important. He was not allowed to comment at all about how he saw the chances of South Africa or any of the other bidders, he said, but expressed congratulations for the ”excellent” organisation of the trip.
From Pretoria, the team was to fly to Polokwane, the second of the eight cities they are to visit around the country. Mbeki pointed out that they were flying from Waterkloof Air Force base, and that they had to get there in good time, since the
Air Force was conducting some exercises there.
”We don’t want them to take off in a fighter plane,” he quipped. – Sapa