One of the aims of the 2010 Soccer World Cup Organising Committee will be to ensure that South Africa are represented by a Bafana Bafana team that will make the country proud.
This was confirmed on Tuesday by Irvin Khoza as the four-man Preparations Committee gave its first report back to the media.
”We need to ask ourselves what kind of team are we going to be presenting in 2010? In all countries that have hosted the World Cup, the home team has performed well.
”No African country has so far reached the quarterfinals of the competition and therefore we need to have a Bafana Bafana that is going to make the country proud,” said Khoza.
Joining Khoza on the committee are Danny Jordaan, Selwyn Nathan and Tokyo Sexwale. Khoza indicated that they had split themselves in two teams, with Jordaan and Nathan handling infrastructure issues while he and Sexwale will handle legal issues and government relations.
”By infrastructure we mean the preparation of stadiums, facilities and items such as the opening ceremony. The legal side of things will deal with all the negotiations with soccer’s world governing body Fifa and liaising with the SA government,” said Khoza.
He and Sexwale will travel to Germany, which will host the 2006 World Cup, Switzerland, home of Fifa, and the Olympic Games in Athens in order to garner more information on the running of major sporting events.
On their return they plan to advise the SA Football Association (Safa) to set up a full Organising Committee prior to the original proposed date of December 30 this year. ”We think we have six years to go but this year is almost over and by the start of 2010 everything must be in place.”
”So we need to begin as soon as possible.”
Khoza pointed out that the Organising Committee needed to be transparent.
”It must be subjected to public scrutiny. All key functions must be given to people with the correct expertise. The whole of Africa will be judged on our performance so we cannot afford to make a mistake.”
He also warned people who were already making plans to sell tickets or setting up saving schemes so that the public can afford to attend matches.
”These people might have good intentions but this must stop immediately.”
The Organising Committee is the only group that can name the companies permitted to sell tickets. ”Anyone who is trying to do it now is doing it without our blessing.”
Jordaan also spoke out against ambush marketing. ”The Cricket World Cup set a very good standard when dealing with the issue and we will follow a similar line.
”Ambush marketing will create a very unpleasant business environment. A City Evaluation Committee will be set up to decide which cities will be allowed to host matches. We are looking at 13 stadiums. Any city wishing to host a match will need to come up with a proposal.
”We will first look at what exists in that city and then what they would need to host a match, with regards to items such as stadiums, hotels, transport and security.
”As we also want this World Cup to leave us a legacy after 2010, we need to evaluate whether any cities that have to build structures to host matches, will use the items after the World Cup is over.
”We certainly cannot afford to do what Japan did after 2002 and just bring in the bulldozers.”
Finally Sexwale elaborated on the fact that this was a Fifa event, not a Safa event. ”Fifa will play their own game and everything must comply to their standard. If they’re not satisfied, they will give it a negative tick and that we cannot allow to happen.” – Sapa