South Africa confident of staging World Cup

Of the four candidates present in Los Angeles this week to lobby for the 2006 World Cup, South Africa was the last to welcome football's international bigwigs to their promotional stand to indulge in what has become the trademark display of national pride.

But don't let that fool you. Danny Jordaan, South Africa's campaign director, is convinced that come July next year, the new date for the vote on who gets the tournament, the last will be first. England, he predicts, won't even come second.

A momentous week of football politics was dominated in the end by Asia's totally unexpected announcement that it planned to boycott the qualifying tournament for the 2002 World Cup over the allocation of berths. But up to that moment, the movers and shakers of world football, otherwise known as Fifa's 24-man executive committee, had been lobbied to the point of being hounded by the most intensive bout of campaigning carried out so far in the effort to secure the 2006 tournament. Sports Minister Tony Banks may have jetted into California to lend his support to England's efforts to win the vote a year from now, but Jordaan was confident that Africa's time has come and that no amount of English rhetoric can stop it. "Everyone thinks they are going to win but, if the vote were taken tomorrow, South Africa would definitely be out in front," said Jordaan. Alec McGivan, England's bid director, naturally feels the same way. The difference, of course, is that English football has a habit of shooting itself in the foot. Should England qualify for Euro 2000 and its fans use the occasion to indulge in another bout of reckless hooliganism, what then? Jordaan, of course, doesn't have to worry about such matters. His main worry, on paper at least, is the crime rate at home, plus the Moroccan thorn in his country's side. South Africa wanted and expected to end up as the only candidate from its continent. Nigeria and Egypt were persuaded to withdraw but Morocco, having failed twice in the bidding, remain in the race. But with or without Morocco, says Jordaan, South Africa has enough sympathy from outside the African continent. Interestingly, a straw poll taken among football administrators and journalists here this week had South Africa as a clear winner, with 31 votes, followed by England with 18. Germany, Brazil and Morocco hardly registered a vote between them. "What that shows is that there is a worldwide movement in favour of Africa staging the World Cup," said Jordaan. "When, rather than if, we win, Germany will come second. England's bid does not have enough of a continental base." A dangerous prediction perhaps but South Africa has a powerful ally in Fifa president Sepp Blatter. "Show me one organisation where the president is without influence and I'll show you a president who would not be in the job long," said Jordaan. "That's not the way things work. The president's view is an entrenched one. All I can say is that it is a pillar of strength for us."

Copyright 1999
Provided by ProQuest Information and Learning Company. All rights Reserved.