Hachiko
Look who's back!
Zurich, 15 May 2004 - South Africa will host the 2010 FIFA World Cup?, the first in the history of world football?s governing body to be held in Africa. With 14 votes, South Africa were declared as winners after the first round of voting. Morocco received 10 votes, while Egypt did not tally any.
FIFA President Joseph S. Blatter announced the results of the vote at a media conference held today, Saturday, 15 May 2004, at the World Trade Center in Zurich in the presence of high-ranking government officials of the candidate countries as well as hundreds of media representatives from all around the world. In a short address prior to announcing the host nation, Blatter thanked the five bidders for their excellent work and stressed: ?The winner is Africa. The winner is football.?
FIFA.com
South Africa's tourism industry is ready to host the 2010 Soccer World Cup, Tourism Business Council of South Africa executive director Tanya Abrahamse said on Saturday.
"South Africa as a whole is poised to welcome visitors from the farthest reaches to our shores. We have a robust tourism industry with extensive experience in hosting international visitors, whether they are statesmen or Hollywood stars or even scores of sports fans," Abrahamse said in a statement.
iAfricacom
Zurich, Switzerland - South Africa will wake up on Sunday with a celebration party hangover and the daunting task of delivering Africa's first football World Cup in six years' time.
The Rainbow Nation thanked world football body Fifa for entrusting it and the African continent with its showpiece event after it won the right to host the 2010 finals here on Saturday.
"What the president has done through that announcement is to find Africa worthy after 100 years," said bid chief Danny Jordaan.
"The Economist (magazine) said two years ago that Africa is a hopeless case but Fifa has shown we deserve this chance."
IOL
Johannesburg - South Africa's World Cup bidding team arrived home early on Sunday morning to a discreet heroes' welcome, as the country woke up to a collective hangover following festivities to celebrate its winning the right to host the world's greatest sporting event in 2010.
The team, led by the bid's chief executive, Danny Jordaan, his deputy Irvin Khoza and a number of other soccer officials and politicians arrived on a special flight from Zurich, to the sound of fans singing and noisily blowing their "vuvuzelas" - a trumpet-like instrument which emits a sound similar to that of an elephant.
news24.com
