South Africa: Country Will Show the World Wonders in
2010
Themba Gadebe
As the newly built home of South Africa's 2010 FIFA World Cup Local Organising
Committee hosted its first lunch, one of the country's struggle icons
enthused that the nation would amaze the world when it hosts soccer's
biggest event.
Winnie Madikizela-Mandela highlighted the sport's role in the struggle
against apartheid and predicted the country would host the best FIFA World
Cup yet.
"The 2010 FIFA World Cup is going to make us proud. We are going
to show the world wonders come 2010," said Ms Madikizela-Mandela,
at the luncheon hosted by the LOC's Chief Executive Officer Danny Jordaan.
The event was also attended by new Bafana Bafana coach Carlos Alberto
Parreira, who recently celebrated his birthday, and the outgoing Chief
Executive Officer of the Premier Soccer League, Trevor Phillips.
The building, SAFA House, has been the home of both the South African
Football Association and the LOC since last month.
The structure in Johannesburg is meant for 250 staff members and acts
as a base during the organisation and preparation phase of the World Cup.
Its construction began in November last year at the site of FNB Stadium
in Nasrec, Johannesburg, which itself will host 2010 matches.
The stadium is currently being refurbished.
Ms Madikizela-Mandela told LOC members that ambitions to host events like
the FIFA World Cup made fighting to overthrow the apartheid regime worthwhile.
"Hosting events like the World Cup is what we fought for. We fought
for our human dignity and to show that we can compete with any country
in the world at any level," she said.
Had it not been for soccer, she suggested, the country would have lost
more youth than it did in the apartheid era.
"It was their only form of entertainment, the only thing that made
our children believe they were human beings," she said.
LOC CEO, Dr Jordaan, concurred with Ms Madikizela-Mandela, saying aspirations
to host the games had been nursed by struggle icons such as her.
"The dream of hosting the World Cup in our country was made in places
like the confines of your house arrest in Brandfort.
"It was made in your struggle in the streets and in your defiance
and your spirit never to give up. This is the spirit that inspired us
during our World Cup bid," said Dr Jordaan.
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March 16, 2007.
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