Morocco starts final stretch of World Cup race

The race to become Africa’s first Soccer World Cup host approached the finish line on Friday as five contenders tried to persuade Fifa to give them the most lucrative event in soccer.

Already a three-time loser but gaining ground on long-time favourite South Africa, Morocco was the first of the five nations to make a final plea to Fifa’s executive committee at the World Trade Centre in Zurich.

Fifa’s 25-strong executive will vote on Saturday to decide who hosts the first World Cup to be staged on African soil.

Although South Africa and Morocco appear the leading contenders, Egypt was highly rated in Fifa’s own technical report while Libya and Tunisia are the outsiders.

Introducing the bidders, Fifa president Sepp Blatter said he had long hoped to see a World Cup in Africa.

”It’s a great honor for the Fifa president to finally reach the last stretch of a long race, which will lead us to a Fifa World Cup hosted on the African continent,” he said.

”I assure you that it was not easy to convince the executive committee that you have before you of the necessity of introducing a rotation system, distributing the World Cup to the various continents that make up Fifa.

”Once the principle was accepted, however, because the World Cup until then was organised between Europe and the Americas, it paved the way for a decision to have Africa to host a World Cup,” Blatter said.

”I have worked for 30 years for the development of football and I am attached to the African continent so I am a very happy president.”

Two African nations, Nigeria and Cameroon, have won the past two Olympic soccer titles and stars such as Liberia’s George Weah, Cameroon’s Roger Milla and Nigeria’s Nwankwo Kanu have led the spread of African stars in the game, especially in Europe.

Present to support Morocco’s bid was Prince Moulay Rachid, brother of King Mohammed VI; the President of Senegal, Abdoulaye Wade; and former Spanish prime minister Don Felipe Gonzalez.

The South Africans had sent three political heavyweights, President Thabo Mbeki and former presidents Nelson Mandela and FW de Klerk.

With Fifa sending the World Cup around the confederations, it won’t be Africa’s turn again until 2030.

South Africa will reinforce the arguments it made four years ago by saying it has nine big grounds already in place with four more planned. It has a strong economy and the thousands of tourists who flock to the country every year will testify it has adequate hotels and transportation.

On the down side, South Africa’s crime level remains high although the country doesn’t have the terrorist links associated with Morocco, Egypt, Tunisia and Libya.

But it is a long way from virtually everywhere with fans, players and officials having to fly at least eight hours just to get there. The other four candidates, by contrast, are just a short flight from Europe. — Sapa-AP