South African organizers of the 2010 Soccer World Cup on Monday
denied "internal rifts" exposed by local media as FIFA officials
kicked off a week-long inspection for preparations.
Irvin Khoza, chairman of the 2010 World Cup Organizing Committee
(OC), dismissed a Sunday newspaper report that there were tensions
between himself and OC Chief Executive Officer Danny Jordaan.
"Danny Jordaan and myself made a commitment that South Africa's
bids for the 2006 and 2010 FIFA World Cup is not about Danny
Jordaan or Irvin Khoza, it's about the country and the continent,"
he told a press conference in Johannesburg.
The front-page report of Sunday Times described
infighting and mistrust, mainly between Jordaan and Khoza, as
"warfare" which "are tearing the 2010 Local Organizing Committee
apart" and threatened to derail the World Cup project, the first
one on the African soil.
The report also suggested that Tim Modise, OC's communications
and marketing chief, was on the brink of leaving the company last
week due to clashes between him and Jordaan.
Both Khoza and Jordaan dismissed the report as "negative" and
"untrue".
"There is a lot of despondency and hopeless in our country,"
Khoza said. "The 2010 FIFA World Cup is one project which gives
hope to all of us. Let us not destroy it."
Jordaan said Modise would have his full support and would
continue to work for the OC.
"The truth is that Tim has my full support and in my view is one
of the best and most respected individuals in the country to engage
with the public and media on the 2010 project... We hope that he
will continue to make an invaluable contribution to this project,"
said Jordaan.
Khoza said the OC now focuses firmly on FIFA Confederation Cup
in 2009, a rehearsal of the world's football extravaganza in
2010.
"We are only 18 months away now (from the Confederations Cup)
and we're happy with what we've achieved, which is there for the
whole country to see," Khoza said.
The FIFA delegation will this week visit a total of six 2010
World Cup host cities and stadiums, four of which are FIFA
Confederations Cup venues including Ellis Park Stadium in
Johannesburg and Pretoria's Loftus stadium.
Inspectors are expected to check on stadium management,
marketing, IT, media, TV, accommodation, security, stadium
construction and transportation.
With their victory in the 2008 African Cup of Nations in Ghana
this month, African champions Egypt have become the latest country
to qualify for the FIFA Confederations Cup line-up, joining
reigning world champions Italy, South American champions Brazil,
Asian champions Iraq and CONCACAF champions the United States.
(Xinhua News Agency February 19, 2008)