Danny Jordaan, CEO of the 2010 Soccer World Cup local organising committee, on Friday returned to his home town of Port Elizabeth to switch on the First National Bank (FNB) World Cup countdown clock.
This demonstrates that things are really ”hotting up” in the friendly city as it prepares to host some of the games in three years’ time.
Jordaan said the first recorded football match in South Africa, and indeed on the African continent, took place in Port Elizabeth in 1862.
”The unveiling of the countdown clock signals the great contribution of the city of Port Elizabeth and the Eastern Cape region in creating conducive conditions for this event in our country. This clock will be a daily reminder to all of us of the importance of this deadline-driven event,” said Jordaan.
Local organising committee ambassador and soccer legend Doctor Khumalo, together with FNB provincial chairperson Bennett Mdebuka, joined Jordaan in unveiling the clock at a gathering of VIP guests and the media.
FNB, the official national supporter of the tournament, is erecting similar structures in every host city nationwide and the Port Elizabeth clock is the third to be unveiled.
According to Mdebuka, the 5m-tall, turquoise digital timepiece is a symbol of the confidence FNB has in South Africa and in the Eastern Cape leading to 2010.
Mdebuka added the right to host the tournament would be a catalyst to unlock the country’s potential as a nation and would be a great accelerator for economic growth, particularly in the Eastern Cape with the Coega project and the construction of the new stadium already in full swing.
Several first- and second-round matches will be played in Port Elizabeth at the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium in front of almost 50 000 spectators.
When the clock strikes zero on June 11 2010, in just 1 064 days, it will officially ‘kick off’ the tournament and set Bafana Bafana on their World Cup campaign. — Sapa