WC 2010: South Africa Update

SoccerPrime · 10-04-2006, 05:32 AM

South Africa '10 stadium costs skyrocket

For months, the elephant in the living room has been USA '10 -- the
possibility that South Africa won't be able to organize the 2010 World
Cup and that the tournament will then be moved to a country like the
United States that is capable of organizing the event on short notice.

The general consensus about South Africa '10 was that it had, or would
have, the stadiums but everything else -- transportation,
infrastructure, organization -- was a mess.

"Crime is a challenge," FIFA secretary general Urs Linsi acknowledged
at a news conference on Tuesday. "Transport is also a challenge. The
existing transport system is over-stressed."

The growing concerns, however, are the costs of the stadium work and
the lack of progress in getting the stadium projects underway. The
South African government has had to allocate 8.3 billion rand ($1.06
billion) for stadium construction costs -- more than three times the
2.3 billion rand estimate made in 2004 when the country was awarded the
tournament. South Africa is building four new stadiums and rebuilding
another stadium. Five stadiums need renovations.

FIFA president Sepp Blatter has gone as far as to say he plans to
travel to South Africa to "fire up the organizing committee."

"For the moment they have plans, money and decisions," he added, "but I
have yet to see the pickaxes and spades needed to start the work."

Irvin Khoza, chairman of the South Africa 2010 organizing committee,
says work on the new stadiums must begin in January 2007.

The United States, Australia and Germany have been mentioned as
possible replacement hosts. On Tuesday, Franz Beckenbauer, president of
Germany 2006 organizing committee, apologized for recent comments
critical of South Africa, which he said was "beset by big problems."
SOUTH AFRICA 2010 STADIUMS

NEW
* Green Point Stadium (Cape Town)
* King Senzangakhona Stadium (Durban)
* Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium (Port Elizabeth)
* Mbombela Stadium (Nelspruit)
RENOVATED
* Ellis Park Stadium (Johannesburg)
* Soccer City (Johannesburg)
* Loftus Versfeld Stadium (Pretoria)
* Free State Stadium (Bloemfontein)
* Royal Bafokeng Stadium (Rustenburg)
REBUILT
* Peter Mokaba Stadium (Polokwane)

Deuce · 10-04-2006, 09:16 AM

I think it is not too much to hope that South Africa come up short...
USA would be awesome...

beaveman · 10-04-2006, 10:36 AM

I heard similar comments when Greece's plans for the olympics where way behind schedule. It seems that countries usually take this as a swift kick in the butt and get things in gear when they are threatened with losing the opportunity.

Aerick · 10-04-2006, 10:37 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Deuce

I think it is not too much to hope that South Africa come up short...
USA would be awesome...

USA would be awesome, but I'd still love to go to SA in 2010.

Deuce · 10-04-2006, 10:56 AM

I know it would not be the first time a country could not make the deadline and the host country was changed.
I know there were more than one but IIRC one was Mexico in 1970...
Uruguay was supposed to host but could not so Mexico took up the reigns.

rslfutbolfan · 10-04-2006, 11:04 PM

Well lets seeeeeeeeeeeee....by 2010 our nice stadium would be ready....

Stucki · 10-04-2006, 11:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Deuce

I know it would not be the first time a country could not make the deadline and the host country was changed.
I know there were more than one but IIRC one was Mexico in 1970...
Uruguay was supposed to host but could not so Mexico took up the reigns.

I believe that was actually 86. 1970 showed they were capapble, so FIFA gave it to them with short notice.

Deuce · 10-05-2006, 09:44 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Stucki

I believe that was actually 86. 1970 showed they were capapble, so FIFA gave it to them with short notice.

eh what is 16 years among friends...
Besides the USA had the most successful... meaning most profitable... World Cup in the history of the World Cup and in 2010 it will have been 16 years since the WC was in the USA... are you seeing some parallels?

Balanceut · 10-05-2006, 11:13 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Stucki

I believe that was actually 86. 1970 showed they were capapble, so FIFA gave it to them with short notice.

It was 86. Interestingly, the US tried for that short notice switch in 86. According to that film on the Cosmos history, Once in a Lifetime, the failure of the attempt to get that World Cup was the final nail in the already built coffin of the NASL. The idea was, the huge publicity of a WC might repair the obvious financial problems of the NASL, and when it didn't happen, in short order the Cosmos disbanded as did the rest of the league.

SoccerPrime · 10-06-2006, 07:24 AM

Actually, it was Columbia that couldn't host the '86 WC after they were originally chosen. Similiar to South Africa perhaps, it was because of finiancial hardship.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1986_FIFA_World_Cup

The '62 WC is the one that had a big earthquake, in Chile. But they still hosted it.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1962_FIFA_World_Cup