Sepp Blatter, the president of world soccer body Fifa, remained tight-lipped on Monday when pressed for who he will support when the Fifa executive committee votes on the destiny of the 2010 World Cup finals.
South Africa, Morocco, Egypt, Libya and Tunisia are all bidding to become the first country to host the world’s greatest soccer spectacle on African soil.
He told reporters in Johannesburg he was in the country as a guest of the South African government to celebrate the country’s 10 years of democracy. He refused to commit himself to a candidate.
”I am neutral. I hope I do not need to use my casting vote. I promised when I won the Fifa presidency that one day the World Cup finals would be held in Africa.
”I am proud that I have made good on my promise. I am in South Africa for three reasons, to celebrate the inauguration of President Thabo Mbeki [on Tuesday], to speak to the South African Football Association and for the 2010 World Cup bid,” said Blatter.
He said he expects the race for the 2010 World Cup finals to be as tight as it was when Germany pipped South Africa by a single vote for the right to stage the 2006 World Cup finals.
But he again stressed that Fifa will not accept joint votes as proposed originally by Tunisia and Libya.
”I have told both the Libyan and Tunisian football associations that we [Fifa] will not accept co-hosting unless under exceptional circumstances, which was the case in 2002 when it was a political decision to allow South Korea and Japan to stage the 2010 World Cup jointly.”
Blatter said he is confident that no matter which of the five African countries is successful, he believes that the continent will produce ”a wonderful World Cup”.
Blatter also said that he wants the World Cup to leave a legacy behind.
”A number of stadiums built in Korea have become white elephants. But fortunately that is not the case in Japan where stadiums built for the World Cup are being utilised.”
Blatter also sidestepped the issue of terrorism and how it will affect South Africa’s biggest contender, Morocco. A number of Moroccan citizens were recently arrested in Spain on charges of terrorism and blowing up a railway train that killed and injured hundreds of people.
”We live in a disturbed world. We asked all governments to support their respective countries’ bids and we have government assurances form all five African bidding countries,” Blatter replied to questions on the Spain bombings.
Blatter said the reports of the Fifa technical committee on its inspection tours of the five countries will be posted on the Fifa website in the first week of May after the executive and bidding countries are given copies of the reports. — Sapa