Fifa thumbs-up for 2010 stadiums
Lucky Sindane
9 February 2007Despite ongoing debate on the preparation of stadiums for the 2010 World Cup, Fifa has expressed its satisfaction with their progress and is confident they will be ready in time for the tournament.
This is according to Fifa general secretary Urs Linsi, who was speaking following the conclusion of the first annual general meeting of the Local Organising Committee's directors, held in Johannesburg on Tuesday.
Local organisers are planning to have all stadiums completed for hand-over to Fifa on 31 October 2009, a target that Linsi is convinced will be achieved.
"This was our very first meeting and it went very well. The challenges are there, but we can overcome them," he said.
The discussion focussed on the construction of stadiums, venues for the 2009 Fifa Confederations Cup - the dress rehearsal for 2010 - and Safa House. Five venues have been identified to host matches during the Confederations Cup: Ellis Park stadium, Loftus Versveld stadium, Royal Bafokeng stadium, Free State stadium and Port Elizabeth stadium.
Safa House, the Johannesburg headquarters of the 2010 World Cup, was completed and handed over to the South African Football Association on 31 January.
"Work is well under way on the construction of the five new stadiums. Work on the five existing venues must begin by the second quarter of 2007," said Irvin Khoza, chairman of the local organising committee (LOC).
He also stated that concerns over budget overruns, particularly in the cities of Cape Town and Durban, had been resolved and that work on the sites would soon commence.
"Core elements such as the official seating manifest and seat assignment, and the match and broadcast schedules, are intimately interconnected and can only be finalised following the official handover of the stadiums," Khoza added.
David Will, Fifa vice-president and chairman of its ticketing sub-committee, said it was important that contractors respected deadlines, as it would take seven months to set up ticketing systems at each stadium.
A Fifa inspection tour is scheduled to take place from 19 to 24 February, with officials conducting site visits in Johannesburg, Polokwane, Pretoria, Rustenburg and Bloemfontein.
Source: City of Johannesburg
