100 days to Africa's World Cup dream
Tuesday, 02 March 2010
Fifa LOC
LOC CEO Danny Jordaan, FIFA's Jerome Valke, FIFA President Joseph Sepp Blatter & Deputy President of South Africa Kgalema Motlanthe during the FIFA 2010 OC 100 days celebrations in Durban on 1st March 2010.
As South Africa today celebrates 100 days until the 2010 FIFA World Cup, it is a time to reflect on the progress the country has made since first winning the right to host Africa’s first World Cup.

“As we mark 100 days to the start of the 2010 FIFA World Cup, we do so with immense pride. We are proud because, in many respects, we are able to pronounce ourselves ready to welcome the world three months ahead of schedule,” South African Deputy President, Kgalema Motlanthe, said last night in Durban.

“On 15 May 2004 we were in Zurich and I was sure when I opened the envelope that it would be South Africa, and it was. When Nelson Mandela took the trophy that night he said that a dream had come true,” said FIFA President Joseph Blatter, reminiscing about the night South Africa was awarded the hosting rights.

For the Chief Executive Officer of the 2010 FIFA World Cup Organising Committee South Africa, Dr Danny Jordaan, the 100 day milestone is as much a celebration of the work achieved as it is the expectation of the world’s greatest football event.

“We have come a long way since our name was pulled out the envelope in 2004. The hard infrastructure work has been largely completed. Our stadiums will be ready to host the fans and teams and our airports will be ready to welcome the influx of visitors. For the next 100 days it is the people of South Africa that need to prepare for the celebration that awaits them. As South Africans we have encountered a lot of skepticism but today, as we celebrate this milestone, we can confidently say to the world that we will be ready,” said Jordaan.

As Durban kicked off the 100 days to the World Cup celebrations last night, confidence about South Africa hosting a successful World Cup was evident.

For the Chairman of the 2010 FIFA World Cup Organising Committee South Africa, Dr Irvin Khoza, the 100 day celebrations mark a significant change in attitude. “We cannot wait to enjoy the 30 days of football, 30 days of festival and 30 days of unprecedented and unequalled excitement and celebration. We cannot wait to bask in global attention, to project an image of

Africa so vibrant and so positive that we create wealth, jobs and opportunity”.
Although he had many to thank for the hard work put into the preparations for the World Cup, Khoza singled out the ordinary citizens of South Africa.

“I would like to thank our people. Together, as South Africans and Africans, we have faced doubters and skeptics, we have faced critics and opponents. We have heard people say we cannot finish stadiums. We have heard people say we cannot provide safety and security. We have heard people say we cannot host the FIFA World Cup. Today, 100 days before the opening match, I ask you to recall the words of US President, Barack Obama. Can we stage an outstanding World Cup in Africa? Yes we can, we are waiting and we are ready”.

The current celebrations in Durban are the culmination of a four day long tour of all the stadiums and host cities with a contingent of 100 journalists, accompanied by Jordaan and FIFA Secretary General, Jerome Valcke. The tour started last Friday with a tour of Johannesburg’s two stadiums – Soccer City and Ellis Park – and ends today with a tour of Durban stadium.