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Is South Africa Ready For The World Cup?
Matthew Wheatley analyses the situation in South Africa and asks whether
they will be ready to host the World Cup in 2010...
With the World Cup only two years away, questions are being raised as
to whether South Africa will be ready in time to host football's biggest
competition.
Stadiums are off schedule due to striking workers and the country's progress
is threatening to grind to a halt at any minute. 500 workers were recently
awarded their jobs back after a strike over pay at the Mbombela stadium
in Mpumalanga, one of several similar incidents that have hindered building
schedules in the past year.
The stadium in Port Elizabeth has already been pulled out of the Confederations
cup in 2009. The tournament will give FIFA a chance to gauge the readiness
of the 'rainbow nation' for the World Cup in a competition that could
prove crucial for South Africa's hopes of hosting the tournament.
With all the problems surrounding preparations FIFA have taken some unusual
steps. Sepp Blatter has already announced that there are three countries
that would be able to host a World Cup with one year's notice. It is a
precautionary statement but one never witnessed before in the history
of the FIFA competition.
Blatter would be unwilling to pull the plug on the African dream, but
his words demonstrate that there is an acceptance amongst the footballing
top brass that South Africa might not make it.
It would be a disaster for the country. Nevertheless there is confidence
in South Africa that the beautiful stadiums will all be ready, as will
the roads and transport and most of all the people will be ready to put
on the greatest show on earth.
Matthew Wheatley
Goal.com,
14/07/2008
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