Duran leads Al Nassr past Yokohama Marinos into AFC Champions League Elite semi-finals    Al Ahli cruise past Buriram into AFC Champions League Elite semi-finals    Saudi Arabia offers condolences to Iran following deadly Bandar Abbas port explosion    Saudi Arabia welcomes Palestinian leadership reforms, appointment of Hussein Al-Sheikh    Ministry of Hajj issued over 150,000 Nusuk cards for the Hajj of 2025    Saudi Arabia deports 12,866 illegal residents in a week    Pope Francis laid to rest at historic funeral in Rome    Massive explosion at Iran's Shahid Rajaee Port injures over 500 people    SFDA clears first 44-ton medical shipment for Hajj pilgrims    Over 13 million worshipers pray at Rawdah Sharif in a year    Saudi orchestra to perform at Sydney Opera House in May    Al Hilal thrash Gwangju to reach AFC Champions League Elite semi-finals    Nammos Amala Resort to open soon with Saudi-Greek designs    Saudi Arabia completes 674 Vision 2030 initiatives, achieves 93% of KPIs as ninth-year milestone marked    GACA chief chairs 16th meeting of the Steering Committee on aviation's strategy    Alkhorayef praises advancements in Al-Kharj food industries sector    Saudi Theater Commission launches its Work and Learn Project in UK    The season has begun — and one comment shook us all    Average life expectancy in Saudi Arabia rises to78.8 years    Famed Philippine film star Nora Aunor dies at 71    Pakistani star's Bollywood return excites fans and riles far right    Veteran Bollywood actor Manoj Kumar dies at 87    Bollywood actress vindicated over boyfriend's death after media hounding    Grand Mufti rules against posting prayers and preaching in mosques on social media    Exotic Taif Roses Simulation Performed at Taif Rose Festival    Asian shares mixed Tuesday    Weather Forecast for Tuesday    Saudi Tourism Authority Participates in Arabian Travel Market Exhibition in Dubai    Minister of Industry Announces 50 Investment Opportunities Worth over SAR 96 Billion in Machinery, Equipment Sector    HRH Crown Prince Offers Condolences to Crown Prince of Kuwait on Death of Sheikh Fawaz Salman Abdullah Al-Ali Al-Malek Al-Sabah    HRH Crown Prince Congratulates Santiago Peña on Winning Presidential Election in Paraguay    SDAIA Launches 1st Phase of 'Elevate Program' to Train 1,000 Women on Data, AI    41 Saudi Citizens and 171 Others from Brotherly and Friendly Countries Arrive in Saudi Arabia from Sudan    Saudi Arabia Hosts 1st Meeting of Arab Authorities Controlling Medicines    General Directorate of Narcotics Control Foils Attempt to Smuggle over 5 Million Amphetamine Pills    NAVI Javelins Crowned as Champions of Women's Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (CS:GO) Competitions    Saudi Karate Team Wins Four Medals in World Youth League Championship    Third Edition of FIFA Forward Program Kicks off in Riyadh    Evacuated from Sudan, 187 Nationals from Several Countries Arrive in Jeddah    SPA Documents Thajjud Prayer at Prophet's Mosque in Madinah    SFDA Recommends to Test Blood Sugar at Home Two or Three Hours after Meals    SFDA Offers Various Recommendations for Safe Food Frying    SFDA Provides Five Tips for Using Home Blood Pressure Monitor    SFDA: Instant Soup Contains Large Amounts of Salt    Mawani: New shipping service to connect Jubail Commercial Port to 11 global ports    Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques Delivers Speech to Pilgrims, Citizens, Residents and Muslims around the World    Sheikh Al-Issa in Arafah's Sermon: Allaah Blessed You by Making It Easy for You to Carry out This Obligation. Thus, Ensure Following the Guidance of Your Prophet    Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques addresses citizens and all Muslims on the occasion of the Holy month of Ramadan    







Thank you for reporting!
This image will be automatically disabled when it gets reported by several people.



2010 World Cup crucial for Africa
By Barry Moody
Published in The Saudi Gazette on 10 - 06 - 2009

Its economy in recession for the first time in 17 years and led by a controversial new president, South Africa hosts a World Cup next year crucial not just for its own future but for the image of a whole continent. Any World Cup or Olympics has huge importance for the image and economy of the host nation, with effects that can last for decades, but even more will be at stake a year from now.
The World Cup will be the biggest sporting event ever held in Africa. The continent's future reputation and chances of holding more mega-events – with the huge investment that they bring – will hang on its success.
Organizers hope it will be made unforgettable by a unique and joyful atmosphere that will reverse persistent stereotypes of a continent in permanent crisis and conflict where bad news in one country tends to tar many others – to the great frustration of Africans.
“South Africa will deliver a world-class event that will forever change the perceptions of the international community, and also ensure a lasting legacy for the people of Africa,” President Jacob Zuma said when he was inaugurated last month.
Zuma, who saw off graft and rape charges in a remarkable political comeback, is looking to the tournament to help pull Africa's biggest economy out of recession.
But failure in the month-long tournament, which begins on June 11 next year – especially if there are major incidents of violence from South Africa's notorious criminals – will have the opposite effect, proving the dire predictions of naysayers who include South African whites still sceptical of black rule.
So will South Africa be ready and will the tournament be the best World Cup ever as Danny Jordaan, chief executive of the local organizing committee repeatedly promises? The signs are getting better even though concerns persist, especially over crime, accommodation and transport.
The South African bid was once dogged by stadium delays, labor unrest, bureaucratic and political disputes and an obsession in the local media that the sport's governing body FIFA had a “plan B” to move it elsewhere.
Both FIFA boss Sepp Blatter and Franz Beckenbauer, chairman of the 2006 Germany World Cup organizing committee, publicly criticized the effort. But more recently, officials have been queuing up to praise the preparations. “I am sure the World Cup in South Africa is going to be a big, big success,” Blatter said last week.
On schedule
FIFA Secretary-General Jerome Valcke says nine of the 10 stadiums , half of them new, will be ready by December and the last, in Cape Town, will be delivered in February.
He said FIFA believed at least 450,000 foreign fans would come for the tournament and ticket sales, which are released on a staggered basis, were already heavily oversubscribed with at least 28 of the 64 matches sold out. Demand is expected to increase when fans know which teams have qualified, by November. But while optimism is increasing, there is continued nervousness about several potential problems that could spoil the party, with South Africa's plague of crime front and centre. About 50 people are murdered every day, more than the United States with six times the population, and crime makes South Africa one of the most dangerous countries outside a war zone.
Jordan has dismissed alarmist warnings, pointing to South Africa's highly successful organization of many international events, including a cricket and rugby World Cup.
The Indian Premier League Twenty20 cricket was recently moved to South Africa at short notice because of security fears during the home country's prolonged general election. The successful IPL, which coincided with a smooth, peaceful election in South Africa, greatly boosted its credentials although the number of visiting fans was small. Police plan to saturate danger areas with more than 40,000 officers and high-tech security including unmanned drones, but some South Africans worry this will mean leaving everybody else exposed while fans will be vulnerable if they wander out of guarded areas round stadiums, hotels and tourist routes.
Enthusiasm
Another area of concern for organizers is that matches could be robbed of the singing, dancing fans who make local games so colourful and provide the atmosphere which was one of the biggest draws of holding the competition in Africa.
“The one thing we want it to be is a South African and African World Cup. We don't want it to be European, or South American or Asian,” said former England footballer Terry Paine.


Clic here to read the story from its source.