Tag Archives: Sepp Blatter

SA only Plan A for World Cup

FIFA President Sepp Blatter has once again reiterated that the 2010 World Cup will be held in South Africa, reports Associated Press.

According to the report, the growing cost of building the stadia, due to the global economic crisis and South Africa’s weakened exchange rate, as well as concerns about crime and security, have once again led to the speculation that the event could be moved.

In June Blatter had admitted that he had a Plan B, in case of a natural disaster.  Speaking in Tokyo on Monday, Blatter confirmed that there no longer was an alternative plan:   “There is no Plan B, C or D.  There is only one plan.” he said.

Danny Jordaan, head of the Local Organising Committee, said that the biggest concern for South Africa was the ability of the soccer fans to fly to South Africa, given the global economic crisis, and its effect on soccer fans’ finances.

SA can accommodate World Cup

S A Tourism has reacted confidently to FIFA President Sepp Blatter’s comments about the shortage of accommodation for 2010, by stating that the country has more than enough accommodation for the event, with close to 100 000 graded rooms.

Only about 28 000 of FIFA’s required 55 000 rooms for match officials have been signed up by MATCH, FIFA’s accommodation and ticketing agency, and probably reflects resistance by accommodation establishments due to the unfavourable contract terms, and the feedback received from World Cup 2006, when MATCH cancelled large numbers of hotel rooms in Germany in the last minute, without paying a cancellation penalty.

To counter Blatter’s criticism about the lack of marketing for 2010, S A Tourism CEO Moeketsi Mosola has announced that R 200 million will be spent on a destination marketing campaign for the event, reports Travelwires.

Mosola has cautioned the accommodation industry to charge reasonable rates in winter 2010, to support South Africa’s positioning as a value-for-money destination. The 40 % commission that MATCH charges on top of the establishments’ accommodation rates for 2010, according to a set formula, is contrary to S A Tourism’s pricing caution, as it will make all establishments contracted to MATCH appear extremely expensive.

World Cup 2010 on track

FIFA President Sepp Blatter said “I go back to Zurich a happy man”, at the conclusion of his visit to Johannesburg and Cape Town last month, according to the Cape Times. He said that the 2010 World Cup will be a “great, great success”, and said it would be an exceptional and the best World Cup event ever. He praised the progress of the stadium construction and the planning for transportation to the stadia, and said that everything is “on track”. He even downplayed the crime situation, and the effect it would have on the event.

He said during his visit: “my objective is to reassure the whole country of Fifa’s 110 % commitment … to organise Fifa’s 2010 World Cup”, reports the Cape Argus.   Blatter has reiterated that FIFA’s Plan B and Plan C for 2010 are all South Africa.

Blatter stressed that the Confederations Cup, which is a “warm-up” a year ahead of the World Cup, needed to receive communication support, not only in South Africa, but also in the qualifying countries Spain, Egypt, New Zealand, USA, Brazil and Iraq. The Confederations Cup will run from 14 – 28 June 2009. Unfortunately no matches will be played in Cape Town, as the stadium completion date is six months after the Confederations Cup. Tickets for the Confederations Cup go on sale from 23 November this year.

Cleverly Blatter turned the undersupply by about 50 % of accommodation to MATCH, the FIFA ticketing and accommodation agency, into a postive, saying that demand for accommodation by soccer fans has outstripped the number of beds. This is hardly the case.

The cheapest ticket price for the World Cup will be R 140, based on a pegged exchange rate of $ 1 = R 7, for the next two years. Ticket sales commence in January 2009.

During his visit Blatter berated the poor performance of the national Bafana Bafana soccer team, which he says has already had four years to improve its performance, but has not managed to do so.

Blatter would like to have the 2010 Opening Ceremony take place in Cape Town, but FIFA representatives insist that the opening ceremony will not be a separate event, and will precede the opening match on 11 June 2010, which is scheduled for Soccer City in Johannesburg.

Cape Town on the ball for World Cup 2010

“Cape Town is a wonderful organiser of eight matches and a semi-final for the World Cup”, according to FIFA President Sepp Blatter.   At a presentation to the industry this week, Teral Cullen, Director of the 2010 World Cup, City of Cape Town, spoke enthusiastically about how on the ball Cape Town is for 2010.   She likened the World Cup to a “tsunami”.

The event is creating  a legacy for Cape Town and its citizens, in that it will benefit from an upgraded airport, station, railway carriages, road and transport system, as well as new hotel and event/conference infrastructure worth R 9 billion.  

Cullen’s positioning for Cape Town is the “Party Capital of Africa”, and says that the media exposure that Cape Town will receive from the event cannot be bought for any money.    She is looking at linking Cape Town, with its world heritage site, to Cairo, with its world wonder, and hopes to increase Cape Town’s desirability as an investment and tourism destination.

The dates for the Cape Town matches have been announced, and many of them fall on weekends, which is favourable for attendance and drawing visitors to the Mother City, says Cullen.  The 2010 Cape Town match dates are 8, 11, 14, 18, 21, 24 and 29 June, and 3 and 7 July, the last date being a semi-final.

Construction of the stadium is progressing well, and the roof is expected to be completed in twelve months from now.  The stadium completion date is mid-December next year, in time for a visit to Cape Town of 100 broadcasters, in town for the announcement of the final team draw on 4 December 2009.   The roof will cover most spectators, and has been designed to reduce the noise to not inconvenience residents close by too much.   The 68 000-seater will reduce to 58 000 seats once the World Cup is over.

The stadium management contract has been awarded to Stadia France, which has linked up with Morne du Plessis in its bid to manage the new Cape Town stadium.   The company has been highly praised for the fine stadia it manages around the world.

Cullen  takes on a new title from October, as a FIFA World Cup Organising Committee South Africa Venue Manager, in charge of all FIFA events in Cape Town for the next two years.