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PREPARING SOUTH AFRICA FOR THE WORLD |
Lucas Radebe is arguably the most famous South African footballer of all time. He joined Leeds United in 1994 where he became became a star player and captain. 'Rhoo' remains a legend at Elland Road with the fans still singing his name long after his retirement. He was a member of South African team which won the African Nations Cup in 1996 and he captained the team during the 1998 and 2002 FIFA World Cup tournaments. He earned 70 caps for his country. Radebe has been a FIFA ambassador for the SOS Children's Villages. He received the FIFA Fair Play Award in December 2000 for his contribution in ridding soccer of racism as well as for his work with children in South Africa. He was voted 54th in the Top 100 Great South Africans in 2004 and he now serves as a 2010 World Cup ambassador. Project 2010 asked him....  There has been a lot of discord in South Africa in recent months, particularly due to the outbreak of xenophobia. Do you see the 2010 World Cup bringing people together and uniting the country? Yes. We all know that football makes a difference among the majority of our people. For many the only outlet is football. I have no doubt that the World Cup will see an escalation in interest especially among youngsters who are trying to fulfill their dreams. In terms of the xenophobia, this was building up for a long time. It is tragic, but I think it is better that it happened now than during - or even after - the tournament. The World Cup will unite people, not just Africans, but blacks and whites as well. Overall how do you think SA's preparations are progressing? It is being hampered by mismanagement in terms of coaching, and the changing of coaches. When we look at the national team, there has been a lot of improvement, but we have gone backwards in some areas. At the end of the day, the fans want stability in terms of results. Former Banana coach Carlos Quiroz was quoted as saying he presented an eight-year master plan to Safa back in 2002 to prepare the squad for the World Cup. He says it was never accepted and he finds the state of the national team worrying. How do you think Bafana are placed as the host nation? As the host nation, it would be a huge setback - a disaster and an embarrasment - if the team did not qualify for the second round. Remember, this has never happened before….for a host nation not to go through. What do you see as the most important legacy coming out of 2010 for South Africa and the rest of the continent? There needs to more funding for football and the right channels to make sure that the money reaches people at a grass roots level. In terms of the general population, the World Cup must make sure that the rainbow nation comes together. Do you think the average South African grasps the enormity of this event? Because Safa are not transparent, they are not involving people they way they should and this has created a lot of critcism. They should create the atmosphere - take the sport to the townships (and) to the schools. Not everyone is clear what this tournament means and the responsibility that goes with it. The whole world is coming here and they must experience the warmth we have to offer. And it's not only about football - people will be coming here for the country and we must make sure they will return. more interviews...
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