UEFA

The South Africa World Cup Preparations are on track! The 2010 FIFA World Cup Organising Committee met this week and announced that all stadiums are on schedule and outstanding disputes regarding a new stadium in Cape Town at Green Point have been resolved. Concerns that the World Cup venues in Durban and Cape Town may run over budget have also been addressed with all stadia now coming in on budget. All the 2010 World Cup stadiums are set to be completed by October 31st 2009.

It was also announced that Durban will play host to the 2010 World Cup qualifying draw. This will take place at Durban’s International Convention centre on November 23rd 2007. Preparations for the first World Cup on the African continent are already well underway, despite the last World Cup having been less than a year ago. The qualifying draw will be the official launch of the tournament and will be broadcast live to over 200 countries.

It has been said that South Africa is further along with preparations than Germany was at the same stage before the last World Cup. There were rumours that Australia would take over the role as host to the World Cup. Sepp Blatter, FIFA president, denied these rumours. He assured the world that this speculation was wrong and the tournament would remain in South Africa.

The 2010 World Cup will run from June 11th until July 11th. 13 European nations, 5 Asian and Oceania teams and a total of 8 qualifiers for the American continent will contest the tournament. Hosts, South Africa, qualify automatically. They take their place alongside 5 other African nations.

Neighbouring countries may be brought in to provide base camps for competing nations with Mozambique, Angola and Namibia possibly under consideration.

The 2010 World Cup will be held in South Africa after FIFA decided to host the competition on the African continent for the first time. South Africa won the nomination from unlucky bidders Egypt, Morocco, Tunisia and Libya.

9 cities will host the games. Johannesburg, which will have two venues, will stage matches along with Cape Town, Durban, Pretoria, Port Elizabeth, Bloemfontein, Nelspruit, Polokwane and Rustenburg.