2010 warning for Cape Town

20 December 2006

Johannesburg - The World Cup goes on with or without Cape Town - this was the stark warning emanating from chairperson Irvin Khoza on Wednesday at a Local Organising Committee media briefing in Johannesburg on the progress towards the 2010 tournament.

Khoza was commenting on the niggling succession of obstacles that have emerged surrounding the construction of a new stadium for the World Cup which is due to be erected as part of a comprehensive development in the Green Point precinct of Cape Town - with the latest such obstruction a threat from the Green Point Residents Association to take the matter to court if certain conditions surrounding the project are not met.

"The World Cup is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for South Africa and a momentous task to bring to fruition, with the whole operation required to be carried out like clockwork," said Khoza, "and even a delay of two or three weeks in our timetable of events could be critical, let alone a lengthy wait over the outcome of court proceedings.

"Naturally we hope all the difficulties in Cape Town will be ironed out in time," added the LOC chair, "but we are not dragging our heels while getting into protracted arguments over the Cape Town stadium."

A more conciliatory approach was taken by CEO Danny Jordaan, who pointed out that Cape Town municipal authorities had now accepted in entirety the proposals for the new Cape Town Stadium.

Preliminary draw would take place in Durban

"Ultimately," he added, "the stadium and its implications concern every resident of Cape Town and I cannot see the city rejecting a two-billion rand grant from the government towards overall costs if the project turns out to be still-born."

Ironically, in the circumstances, Khoza scoffed at the allegations of serious disagreements between himself and Jordaan over World Cup planning and said they were bonded together to ensure the success of the 2010 tournament.

"If there is any serious tension between us," he joked in a manner that recalled the old maxim about many a true word being spoken in jest, "they will only surface in 2011."

Khoza and Jordaan were in more obvious accord over initial planning for 2010, which they described as "encouraging in all aspects - and ahead of time."

It was confirmed that the preliminary draw for the 2010 World Cup would take place in Durban on November 23 next year, with up to 3 500 delegates and other visitors from 200 competing nations in attendance.

Khoza said the LOC's preparation towards 2010 had been approved in its entirety by Fifa at a meeting in Zurich last week - and Jordaan said Africa had achieved a major coup in the decision by the executive to grant the continent six of the 32 team positions at the next World Cup to African teams for the first time.

South Africa qualify automatically as hosts and what was described as "a mad scramble" will ensue among the 50 other nations for five places.

Source: News24