/ 31 March 2004

Fifa to reject joint World Cup bid

A joint bid by Libya and Tunisia to host the World Cup in 2010 will be rejected by world football’s governing body, Fifa president Sepp Blatter said on Wednesday.

”Co-hosting between Libya and Tunisia will not be accepted by the executive committee,” Blatter told reporters.

Fifa’s decision-making body, which is presided by Blatter, is due to announce on May 15 the first African country to host the event.

Egypt, Morocco and South Africa are also in the running.

”When there are individual countries capable of organising the event we will not enter into a discussion which is against our statutes,” Blatter said.

Fifa officials have repeatedly made it clear that the World Cup shared by Japan and South Korea in 2002 was a one-off event despite its success, because of the complex and costly logistics. — Sapa-AFP