”No shocks, no headlines, no surprises,” said Fifa director of communications Markus Siegler after arriving at Johannesburg International airport on Monday as part of a seven-man delegation that is in South Africa on a preliminary mission to study facilities for the 2010 World Cup.
But, no sooner had the articulate and amiable Fifa official delivered his sugar-coated assurance, he followed it up with a bitter pill for at least three of South Africa’s proposed 13 World Cup venues, namely that no more than 10 will be utilised in 2010 — and it might be as few as eight.
Siegler was reluctant to say more.
”Let us not forget there is a World Cup in Germany next year,” he added, ”and it is an unwritten Fifa law to focus entirely on the immediate event and do or say nothing that might detract from it.”
But despite this evasive approach, local World Cup committee CEO Danny Jordaan described the presence in South Africa of the Fifa delegation as ”the beginning of the 2010 World Cup”.
”The Magnificent Seven” is how one observer described the group, which also includes Fifa’s influential head of competitions, Jim Brown, who will review eight of the 13 stadiums provisionally allocated by the South African Football Association for 2010 World Cup action — then make a mental note as to which might get the axe.
”We are here until Friday,” explained Siegler, ”and with a good deal of travelling on the agenda, we won’t be able to visit all the proposed centres. But a second delegation will return to South Africa to complete the job.”
Siegler stressed the vital role required by the government in the staging of World Cup events and said Fifa is reassured by the ”whole-hearted support promised by President [Thabo] Mbeki”.
And on this conciliatory note, the momentous 2010 World Cup caravan began rolling, with not a minute to spare, it would seem — despite Fifa’s declaration to focus on next year’s tournament in Germany at this juncture. — Sapa