2010 World Cup organisers dismiss 'internal rifts'
Johannesburg, : South African organisers of the 2010 football World Cup
denied "internal rifts" exposed by local media as FIFA officials
kicked off a weeklong inspection for preparations.
Irvin Khoza, chairman of the 2010 World Cup Organising Committee (OC),
dismissed media reports Monday that there were tensions between himself
and OC chief executive officer Danny Jordaan.
"Danny Jordaan and myself made a commitment that South
Africa's bids for the 2006 and 2010 FIFA World Cup is not about Danny
Jordaan or Irvin Khoza, it's about the country and the continent,"
Khoza told a press conference here.
The front-page report of Sunday Times described infighting and mistrust,
mainly between Jordaan and Khoza, as "warfare" which "are
tearing the 2010 Local Organising Committee apart" and threatened
to derail the World Cup project, the first one on African soil.
The report also suggested that Tim Modise, OC's communications and marketing
chief, was on the brink of leaving the company last week due to clashes
between him and Jordaan.
Both Khoza and Jordaan dismissed the report as "negative" and
"untrue".
"There is a lot of despondency and hopeless in our country,"
Khoza said. "The 2010 FIFA World Cup is one project which gives hope
to all of us. Let us not destroy it."
Jordaan said Modise would have his full support and would continue to
work for the OC.
"The truth is that Tim has my full support and in my view is one
of the best and most respected individuals in the country to engage with
the public and media on the 2010 project... We hope that he will continue
to make an invaluable contribution to this project," said Jordaan.
Khoza said the OC is now focussed on FIFA Confederation Cup in 2009, a
rehearsal of the world's football extravaganza in 2010.
"We are only 18 months away now (from the Confederations Cup) and
we're happy with what we've achieved, which is there for the whole country
to see," Khoza said.
The FIFA delegation will this week visit a total of six 2010 World Cup
host cities and stadiums, four of which are FIFA Confederations Cup venues
including Ellis Park Stadium in Johannesburg and Pretoria's Loftus stadium.
Inspectors are expected to check on stadium management, marketing, IT,
media, TV, accommodation, security, stadium construction and transportation.
With their victory in the 2008 African Cup of Nations in Ghana this month,
African champions Egypt have become the latest country to qualify for
the FIFA Confederations Cup line-up, joining reigning world champions
Italy, South American champions Brazil, Asian champions Iraq and CONCACAF
champions the United States.
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