Danny Jordaan, the 2010 World Cup supremo, said the future use of two stadiums built specially for the tournament hinged on their also becoming rugby union grounds. ’We need to make the stadiums viable... The central issue is whether rugby will move to the new stadiums. I think they will. Their stadiums were built in the 1950s,’ said Jordaan. According to a report on the IoL site, Durban’s Moses Mabhida Stadium, which has been built at a cost of R3.1bn is right next door to the Kings Park home of the Sharks Super 14 rugby union team. But the Sharks are so far showing no inclination to move, sparking fears the Mabhida Stadium may be unviable economically once the World Cup is over, leaving the city with an expensive white elephant.
World Cup supremo Danny Jordaan on Thursday hit out at critics of South Africa’s preparations for this year’s finals as he promised the most financially successful tournament in the event’s history. Reports in the press had suggested that a concerned Fifa, world football’s governing body, was sending in 40 advisers to help bolster Jordaan’s team in the run-up to the World Cup, which starts in fewer than 100 days’ time. But a report on the IOL site notes that a confident Jordaan said on Thursday: ’There are not 40 advisers at Fifa with more experience than me. This is my fifth World Cup.’
CE of the 2010 LOC Danny Jordaan has called on South Africans to celebrate the 100 days until the 2010 World Cup milestone. Jordaan praised the progress the country had made since first winning the right to host the tournament and declared that the country’s readiness to host the spectacle. ’The 100-day milestone is as much a celebration of the work achieved as it is the expectation of the world’s greatest football event,’ he said.
Cabinet Ministers Nathi Mthethwa and Maite Nkoana-Mashabane and soccer boss Leslie Sedibe have been appointed to the board of the 2010 World Cup Local Organising Committee. The Sowetan reports that this was announced by LOC chairman Irvin Khoza after a decision by the board to accept a recommendation to increase its composition from 25 to 29 members. Mthethwa is the minister of safety and security and Nkoana-Mashabane is minister of international relations and cooperation. Transport Minister Sbu Ndebele will also serve on the board.
South Africa’s hosting of the 2010 World Cup has fast-tracked the delivery of infrastructure, says LOC communications chief Rich Mkhondo. ’A lot of bricks and mortar have been used over the past five years. At the moment, there is a lot of pain because of the construction that is going on to upgrade our infrastructure so that, when the tournament begins, it will be smooth sailing,’ Mkhondo says. Engineering News reports that he adds that the country has built six new stadiums and refurbished four others, which were used for the 2009 Confederations Cup.
Coaches attending the 2010 World Cup Team Workshop in Rustenburg are very happy with facilities South Africa has to offer their teams, the LOC said. According to a report on the allAfrica.com, LOC CEO Danny Jordaan told journalists that the coaches were generally happy with the state of base camps, training venues, accommodation and medical facilities in the country. ’We came out of a session with the coaches and overall they are very happy,’ said Jordaan.
With just over 100 days left before the start of the 2010 World Cup, the 10 host stadiums are gearing up for the global event, notes a report on the iafrica.com site. LOC CE Danny Jordaan, says there was never any doubt that the stadiums would be ready. ’We always knew that our stadiums would be ready and not only that, we knew that they would be among the best the world has seen’, said Jordaan. ’Soccer City is a marvel of design and construction and everyone who has visited this stadium has said it is among the best in the World,’ he added.
The chief World Cup organiser campaigned to keep South Africa out of international sports as an anti-apartheid activist in the 1970s. Today, he says the country is ’inviting the whole world to come here’. Sports24 reports that Danny Jordaan recalled how during apartheid South Africa he was denied the right to vote. Now he’s leading efforts to organise the first World Cup to be held on the African continent. Jordaan said he was confident the country will be ready.
Danny Jordaan, Chief Executive Officer of the 2010 World Cup Organising Committee South Africa, on Thursday paid tribute to Nelson Mandela and the role he played in securing the right to host the 2010 World Cup. Mandela was part of the delegation that presented South Africa’s bid to the FIFA Executive in 2004 and was present on May 15 2004 when FIFA President, Dr Joseph S Blatter, announced that South Africa had won the bid to host the 2010 FIFA World Cup. ’Who will ever forget the images of him grasping the FIFA World Cup Trophy as they were beamed around the world? It is thanks to Mandela and his comrades that we as South Africans could even dare to dream about hosting the world’s biggest tournament,’ Jordaan said.
The 2010 World Cup LOC has congratulated Egypt for winning the 27th edition of the Africa Cup of Nations in Angola, notes a report on the iafrica.com site. ’We would like to congratulate The Pharaohs on winning their third successive Africa Cup of Nations trophy. This experienced team have once again done their country proud and proven themselves as a dominant force on the African continent. We will certainly miss this talented team at the FIFA World Cup,’ said LOC CEO Danny Jordaan. Jordaan added that the LOC looked forward to welcoming runners-up Ghana to South Africa later this year.
Despite complaints about access and complicated online processes, the 2010 LOC says it will only introduce over-the-counter ticket sales in April. ITWeb reports that organisations such as SAFA have called for the immediate opening of over-the-counter sales, saying more needed to be done to cater for fans without access to the Internet and the unbanked population in the country. However, the LOC says it is satisfied with the levels of access to tickets and over-the-counter sales would only be introduced in the final sales phase. The final phase will be for the last 500 000 tickets. This will start on 15 April and end on 11 July, with tickets being made available on a first come, first served basis.
Jordaan promises a ’safe and secure’ WC – 27/01/2010
The government is hiring an additional 55 000 police officers, boosting the force by 15% to meet any security threat to the 2010 World Cup. Helicopters, water cannons, and 100 patrol vehicles will also be used to beef up security, according to Danny Jordaan, chief executive of the organising committee. ITWeb reports that he is on record as saying that fans can expect a ’safe and secure’ World Cup tournament. While there is no reason to doubt his words, or that the government has done its best to counter any possible physical threat – from hooligans flinging beer bottles at the players to riots in the streets and even nuclear terrorism – there is one area that seems to have escaped close attention: IT security.
SMMEs must plan well, be streetwise and focus on sustainable business that could benefit from the massive influx of international visitors, but that would not fade upon the conclusion of the 2010 World Cup. According to a report on the iafrica.com site, that is the advice offered by Danny Jordaan, LOC CE, and by André Diederichs, Old Mutual’s specialist on small, medium and micro enterprises (SMMEs). While 86% of SMME owners believed that the 2010 World Cup would be positive for the country, only 45% believed that they would benefit from the event, the SME Survey 2009 has found.
2010 tickets will be sold equitably – LOC – 19/01/2010
Tickets for the 2010 World Cup will be sold equitably, said the LOC. ’We heard the concerns of South Africans and we are looking at them,’ LOC spokesperson Rich Mkhondo said. ’We are going to employ the most equitable distribution of tickets.’ The Sowetan reports that at the moment, tickets can be bought by filling in application forms at First National Bank branches, or fans can apply online. Some soccer analysts have pointed out that not all South African soccer supporters would necessarily be familiar with the Internet and other technology used to apply for the tickets.
The safety of visitors to the 2010 World Cup is being questioned by ’competitors’ who fear losing tourists, said LOC chairperson Irvin Khoza. ’I’ve got a suspicion that the competitors of South Africa, they are creating this negative messaging... discouraging people coming to this country to see the beauty... for the first time,’ said Khoza. ’South Africans must consistently and insistently communicate the message with confidence, because we are sure about what we are doing.’ According to a report on the News24 site, he claimed the debate was being fuelled by countries that had a large share of the tourism market.
World Cup 2010 chief Danny Jordaan has hit back at Hull manager Phil Brown for doubting South Africa’s ability to host the tournament in the wake of the attack on Togo. Brown said the attack on the Togo team bus in Angola at the African Nations Cup put a question mark against the World Cup this summer. But Jordaan said he would contact the Hull manager to put him straight.
Danny Jordaan on Monday accused the world’s media of having ’no basis in reality’ after continued doubts about the safety of the World Cup 2010 in South Africa, in the wake of the tragic machine-gun attack on the Togo team bus and the 2010 African Nations Cup in Angola. ’We have hosted 147 major events in this country since 1994, and the things you are raising have never happened here.’ said Jordaan. ’So the basis on which you raise this has no basis in reality. If there is something with a factual basis, raise it with us and we will address it. If we allow you to go on on a purely speculative basis, the possibilities are endless.’
As the Togo team returns home from the Africa Cup of Nations in Angola, 2010 FIFA World Cup organising committee CEO Danny Jordaan and FIFA president Sepp Blatter have played down security fears for this year’s World Cup in South Africa. ’I think everybody understands (the attack) has nothing to do with South Africa,’ Jordaan said. ’When there was a bomb in London no-one said we should not have 2012 in London so we cannot have double standards.’
According to a report on the News24 site, Blatter wrote to the Confederation of African Football (CAF) president, Isaa Hayatou, saying: ’I have faith in Africa, and it is with this faith that together we will organise world football’s showcase event in 2010.’
World Cup organisers are confident that the fatal bus attack on the Togo team at the African Cup of Nations in Angola should not impact on the tournament in South Africa later this year. Up to three people are reported to have died and several more were injured when gunmen opened fire on the Togo team bus on Friday. Rich Mkhondo, media manager for World Cup 2010 organisers, said the incident would not impact preparations for the 32-team tournament that begins June 11. To suggest otherwise, he said, would be like saying that such an incident in the Czech Republic, for example, would have an impact on an event in Britain.
The smile on Danny Jordaan’s face tells its own story. The dawning of the new year has heralded the final run-up to the World Cup, which begins on June 11 and comes to an end with the final a month later. Jordaan, chief executive officer of the 2010 World Cup Local Organising Committee, has worked for five years on the world showpiece, so it’s no wonder he’s looking forward to it. And with just over six months before the tournament begins, Jordaan is understandable happy. He can see how far the country has gone in preparing for the finals.
Top lawyer Leslie Sedibe has been named as the new SA Football Association CEO, replacing Raymond Hack whose services were terminated this week. The 2010 World Cup Local Organising Committee legal adviser has signed a 12-month contract and will relinquish the position when Danny Jordaan returns from his duties with the 2010 Local Organising Committee. Hack was a close confidant of Irvin Khoza and now plays the price for his long-standing relationship with the ’Iron Duke’, who was thwarted in his bid to take control of SAFA. New SAFA president Kirsten Nematandani has spent recent months seeking to establish his power, and the installation of Sidibe is the latest step in the process. SAFA are setting up an ambitious four-year plan which Sidibe is expected to lead.
Trade union SACCAWU has called on the Local Organising Committee for the 2010 Soccer World Cup to intervene in their wage dispute with Sun International. The union has threatened to strike during the World Cup if workers are not given a 13 percent across the board salary increase. They also want their members to keep all the tips they are given while on the job. Dozens of workers affiliated to SACCAWU held a demonstration outside Sun City on Thursday.
The 2010 LOC says it will work with the SABC to ensure uninterrupted television feeds during the World Cup next year. The Cape Argus reports that this comes after incoming SABC chief executive officer Solly Mokoetle, in a shocking admission, expressed concern over the broadcaster’s readiness for the tournament. Millions of South Africans, and hundreds of thousands of visitors at the fan parks, will all depend on the SABC to bring them the games live during the World Cup. A glitch in the system could result in millions of blank TV screens around the country.
The process of selecting volunteers for the 2010 World Cup will begin in earnest next month. The LOC says the new year will herald a rigorous selection process and the start of training for 15 000 volunteers for the tournament. Sunday World reports that they will be selected from a shortlist of 37 080 applicants pre-selected from 64 500 initial applications received from South Africa and abroad. Interviews with pre-selected applicants will be conducted in January and February, while foreign applicants will be interviewed in their country of origin, and in some instances, through video conferencing. The successful local volunteers will undergo training in March and April, while international volunteers will be trained over the Internet.
South Africa’s 2010 LOC, together with the Department of Environmental Affairs and the event host cities, has launched the national ’greening 2010’ framework, which aims at reducing the environmental footprint of the sporting spectacular. Engineering News reports that participants unveiled the Green Goal logo and signed a pledge committing their support to the Green Goal initiatives, which focus on the environmental aspects of waste, energy, transport, water, biodiversity, and responsible tourism before and during the event. ’Our focus for this World Cup is that it must raise awareness and substantially change matters relating to the environment. If the World Cup can strengthen our ability to deal with this challenge, it will be a move forward,’ said LOC CE Danny Jordaan.
South Africans are choosing to buy tickets for teams such as Brazil and England over the poor performing Bafana Bafana, said World Cup organising committee chief executive Danny Jordaan. ’You cannot believe that Brazil from a ticketing point of view is more popular than Bafana in our own country,’ Jordaan told journalists at a media briefing in Cape Town. According to a report on the IoL site, he said the World Cup would be ’substantially different’ for Bafana as coach Carlos Parreira had identified a number of issues - such as fitness - that could be dealt with to improve the team’s performance. Jordaan said Bafana would be given substantial time to sharpen up.
South Africa has proven beyond a reasonable doubt to be safe in terms of hosting major global sporting events. Local Organising Committee chief executive Danny Jordaan said South Africa’s track record in hosting big events speaks volumes. The Sowetan reports that he said South Africa had hosted 141 global sporting events without any serious incidents. He said security would be tight during the 2010 World Cup. Jordaan said the SA Police Service had recruited more than 140 000 extra officers with another 100 000 in reserve.
The 2010 Local Organising Committee (OC), together with the Department of Environmental Affairs and the event host cities, on Thursday launched the national ’greening 2010’ framework, which aimed at reducing the environmental footprint of the sporting spectacular. Engineering News reports that participants unveiled the ’green goal’ logo, and signed a pledge committing to their support of the green goal initiatives, which focused on the environmental aspects of waste, energy, transport, water, biodiversity, and responsible tourism before and during the event.
British Government warns fans travelling to SA – 25/11/2009
Danny Jordaan - CE of the 2010 LOC — has expressed his displeasure at reports the British government had warned fans to be on the alert for hijackers when they arrive in SA for the soccer showpiece next June. Business Day reports that British foreign office minister Chris Bryant was quoted as saying those travelling to SA had to be aware of the measures they had to take to ensure their safety. ’We do not understand where this kind of statement is coming from,’ Jordaan said. ’We do not believe that the foreign office minister is correct in his findings.’ The British government is now apparently urging fans to purchase comprehensive travel insurance before heading to SA.
Get behind Africa, Jordaan tells 2010 fans - 23/11/2009
South Africans and Africans must support the continent’s soccer teams during the 2010 World Cup, local organising committee CEO Danny Jordaan said on Monday. ’African teams must be higher up in focus,’ he said, speaking in Sandton, Johannesburg, at the media launch of the Fifa fan fest. The ’fan feasts’ are public viewing areas aimed at broadening the reach of the 2010 World Cup. ’This is where we want to carve the real event experience, outside the stadiums.’
