Seven days is how much time South Africa has to impress the Fifa inspectors; seven years is how much time the country will have to prepare to host the World Cup soccer tournament if they can clinch the 24 Fifa member votes in six months time in Zurich.
Five Fifa inspectors, here on a whirlwind tour to assess South Africa’s readiness to host the World Cup, should leave the country well impressed. South Africans are hoping that a favourable report card will be passed on to the voting members who have been scrutinising South Africa’s one-thousand-page 2010 bid proposal.
So why should the World Cup come to South Africa? President Thabo Mbeki backed the event. The inspectors have seen the passion first hand at Ellis Park stadium where Kaizer Chiefs played Ajax Cape Town in front of 60 000 supporters on Saturday. South Africa is also the only country that has 80% of its infrastructure already in place to host this tournament. South Africa’s stadiums and hotels are first class, tourism is booming, the rand is strong, security is tight, and the public’s passion is unquestioned. The best country to make this a true African game is South Africa.
Politics plays a big role in clinching such a prestigious tournament. Morocco, our main rival, has bid for the tournament four times and recently Jacques Chirac backed the country — the first time a president has publicly stated his backing for another country’s bid.
For the Europeans who still perceive Africa as a dark, dangerous continent, Morocco would be an ideal host. Players and officials will only have to fly a short distance for their matches and depart as soon as they’ve played. This deprives Africa of its chance to truly host the World Cup and bask in all the benefits of such a tournament.
What the World Cup could do for Africa is what it has done for the Americans, Asians and Europeans: make internal soccer leagues strong, unearth young talented players, boost economies and bring nations together.
South Africa and Africa deserve the right to host such a tournament. South Africa has proven time after time they can host big events, notably the Rugby World Cup, Cricket World Cup and the World Summit. A World Cup in South Africa could also go some way to alleviating poverty and would provide about 156 000 jobs.
In Africa, the World Cup can unite and bring prosperity to a continent that has been plagued by war, famine, disease and hopelessness.
Last but not least, a trump card the bid company could play is former president Nelson Mandela, who has pleaded for the World Cup to come down south and finally give the world statesman and sporting heroes of his time a chance of seeing what the event could do for the people of Africa.