A six-member team from Fifa ended an inspection tour on Monday to evaluate Libya’s bid to host the 2010 World Cup.
”We have visited all the towns that are supposed to host the 2010 World Cup and inspected the sites of the stadiums which will be built for this event,” Jan Peeters, the team’s leader, told reporters.
Libya has allocated $8-billion for the construction of eight new stadiums in six towns, and for other infrastructure works of renovation.
Peeters, also president of Belgium’s soccer federation, said senior Libyan financial officials have expressed readiness to submit guaranteed bonds for the allocated money.
Libya is one of five African candidates — along with front-runner South Africa, Morocco, Tunisia and Egypt — hoping to host soccer’s showcase event. Fifa has reserved the 2010 World Cup for an African country. The continent has never before hosted the event.
Libya and Tunisia were hoping to co-host the tournament but world soccer’s governing body opposed the idea. Japan and South Korea co-hosted the 2002 World Cup but Fifa said it was a one-time exception.
Fifa inspectors have already visited South Africa, Morocco and Tunisia and are expected to go to Egypt next week. The visits will lead to the announcement of the host of the 2010 World Cup on May 15. — Sapa-AP