2010 World Cup Chief Rebuffs Criticism of South Africa's Preparations

Danny Jordaan hit back at a suggestion that Durban’s Moses Mabhida Stadium seemed further away from completion than London's Olympic Stadium (ATR) FIFA 2010 World Cup chief Danny Jordaan says he has “no doubts” that stadium construction will be completed ahead of the finals in South Africa.

“We have made substantial progress in building work,” Jordaan told reporters at a press briefing in London Thursday.

Jordaan was in a defiant mood following negative coverage of his country’s readiness to host next summer’s World Cup. He used a well-attended news conference to give a detailed progress report in an attempt to allay concerns that construction has fallen behind schedule.

The 94,000-capacity Soccer City in Johannesburg, which will host the opening ceremony and final, is nearing completion, he revealed. Half of the stadium’s external cladding has been fitted and seats are currently being installed.

Jordaan also announced that the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium in Port Elizabeth yesterday hosted a test event for local communities. It is due for completion next month and will host the British Lions rugby team in May.

Upgrades to the four existing venues that will host June’s FIFA Confederations Cup are complete, he noted.

But there are evident grounds for concern elsewhere.

Photographs of the ambitious Green Point Stadium in Cape Town, situated between Table Mountain and the Atlantic Ocean, showed the compression ring – which supports the roof – to be recently completed. But amid the concrete and cranes, it is difficult to envision it being ready to host a World Cup match in 15 months time.

Jordaan mocked a suggestion that “to the untrained eye” Durban’s Moses Mabhida Stadium seemed further away from completion than the London 2012 Olympic Stadium.

“The operative here is the untrained eye,” said Jordaan, who vowed that it would be ready by October.

But seeing photographs of the site, it was hard to share his optimism. It will feature a vast arch rising above the stadium that will house a viewing platform linked to the ground by cable car.

In addition, of the ten planned fan parks, five are still to gain FIFA approval.

Jordaan played down suggestions that there may be a repeat of last week’s terrorist attacks on the Sri Lankan cricket team. Pointing to previous sporting eventsJordaan says the country's security forces are cooperating closely with organizers of the Beijing Olympics and the Germany World Cup to avert any major terror attackshosted in South Africa, he said he was confident that the country possessed the expertise to avert a major incident.

“You are not dealing with security people who have never done a major event. They have been doing this over and over,” he said.

The South African security establishment had also “cooperated very closely” with organizers of the 2008 Beijing Olympics and the last World Cup in Germany.

Just two of six national sponsors have so far committed to the 2010 World Cup Finals.

Jordaan said that he was still “working closely” with “several” South African companies to increase this number, but admitted the unprecedented global economic situation made it difficult. In terms of total revenue raised from South African sponsors, he said the amounts were comparable to those gained from German sponsors for the 2006 World Cup.

“2010 has already outperformed Germany 2006 in terms of total sponsorship revenue,” he added. Some $3.2 billion

has so far been raised – $400 million more than for the Germany World Cup.

Tickets for the 2010 World Cup recently went on sale, with strong interest from Britain, the U.S. and Japan.

“Within the first 24 hours we have sold more tickets than Germany 2006,” Jordaan confirmed.

Yet disappointing local sales for June’s Confederations Cup suggest that many South Africans are priced out of attending.

FIFA has been critical of the lack of local sales and FIFA Secretary General Jérôme Valcke last week admitted he was “astounded” not to see posters and promotions when he visited the country.

Pointing to the $20 ‘tier four’ tickets available to locals and free tickets given to stadium construction workers, organizers brushed off Valcke's comments saying that the 2010 World Cup would be “more accessible” than the previous two tournaments.

“It has been taken on board and sorted out so that the opportunity is there for most local people to be involved in the World Cup Finals,” said Gary Mabbutt, an ambassador for 2010. However, the former Tottenham and England defender admitted that “not everybody” in South Africa would be able to afford to attend a World Cup match.

With reporting from James Corbett in London.

For general comments or questions,

click here