2010 FIFA WORLD CUP IN AFRICA SOIL

After years of skepticism over Africa’s ability to host an event of the magnitude of the World Cup, South Africa is hosting the four weeks global soccer fiesta, the first of its kind in Africa soil, since its inauguration eighty years ago.

No doubt, the entire World, particularly, soccer enthusiasts and analysts, are not unaware of politics that go alongside agitation or bidding for hosting of any football competition from local level to global level.

South Africa however began the great challenge in May two thousand and four, when FIFA President Sepp Blatter opened the envelope which revealed South Africa as the first African country to host the soccer World Cup in Zurich, Switzerland.

Prior to the announcement, South African Government had made seventeen guarantees to FIFA, in relation to the delivery of the 2010 FIFA World Cup.

Since FIFA’s announcement of South Africa as the host country of the World’s biggest soccer event, there have been series of criticisms, challenges and encouragements on the country’s preparedness in terms of infrastructure to host the World. Today, there is no question whether the Country is ready to host a spectacular and memorable event as all the thirty-two countries representing all the continents and sub-continents of the world arrived the rainbow nation.

Out of these thirty-two countries, six African countries, including host, South Africa, Nigeria, Cameroun, Ghana, Algeria and Cote d’lvoire are taking part in the tournament.

The rest of the qualified countries are Japan, the Netherlands, Korea Democratic People’s Republic, Australia, Korea Republic, USA, Brazil, England, Paraguay, Spain, Denmark, Chile, Germany and Italy.

Others are Mexico, Serbia, Switzerland, Argentina, Honduras, Slovakia, France, Portugal, Slovenia, Greece, Uruguay and New Zealand.

The four week event is expected to take place in eight of South Africa’s nine provinces, using ten stadia in nine host cities, while an independent consulting and accounting firm revealed that about four hundred thousand international tourists are expected to visit South Africa over the period.

Indeed, the World Cup is not only a landmark event, it is a defining event for its host nation because a lot of infrastructural projects had been put in place.

Economically, the South African Chamber of Commerce and Industry has disclosed that the soccer spectacle is expected to inject about fifty-five billion rand into the country’s economy as well as create over four hundred and fifteen thousand jobs.

Speaking on the preparation of the country, former South African President, Nelson Mandela noted that the 2010 World Cup is a powerful creator of opportunity for all and must be used as a springboard for future.

According to him, the World Cup will help unify people, if there is one thing in this planet that has the power to bind people, it is soccer.

It is therefore imperative for the South African authorities to intensify efforts on its transport services, health-care delivery, safety and security, immigration, tourism sector, telecommunications services and administration of justice to check all impediments to successful hosting of the World on African soil for the first time.

All African nations participating in the fiesta must show their stuff and potentials.

The Confederation of African Football (CAF) should also give necessary support to South Africa with a view to giving the World the best World Cup ever while other stakeholders in the continent should use the competition to proof that South Africa and indeed the African continent in general, is capable of organizing an event of this magnitude.