Nearly 40 000 South Africans have applied to volunteer at next year’s Fifa Confederations Cup, the organisers said on Monday.
”We are humbled and greatly encouraged by the incredible response,” said Danny Jordaan, CEO of the 2010 Fifa World Cup local organising committee in a statement.
The committee received 37 408 local applications, and fielded a number of international enquiries, but needs just 4 030 volunteers to assist operations in the four Confederations Cup host cities next June.
It will announce the successful candidates after a three-month selection process.
”The wonderful response to the volunteer application process shows that our people are enthusiastic about playing their part and getting involved in the success of the Confederations Cup and the World Cup,” Jordaan said.
The Confederations Cup has traditionally been used to test a host country’s state of preparedness for the World Cup.
Fifa in July pulled one of the Confederation Cup stadiums, in Port Elizabeth, from the 16-match tournament as construction was unlikely to meet a March 2009 deadline for completion.
South Africa has also been hit by overruns in 2010 stadium construction costs, but the country’s government has said that all venues are on track to be completed before the December 2009 Fifa deadline.
Last month, Fifa president Sepp Blatter said the football world should trust South Africa to host a successful World Cup.
Blatter said he will head a Fifa delegation to South Africa next month to talk with President Thabo Mbeki, leader of the African National Congress Jacob Zuma and the tournament organising committee. — AFP
