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FIFA General Secretary, Jerome Valcke, disclosed that the
world’s football body never considered moving the 2010 World Cup which starts
in about 30 days, from South Africa. He made this statement at the Global Media
Face Off of the 2010 INDABA held on Sunday morning at the Moses Mabhida
Stadium, Durban.

“There was never, ever a single time that FIFA thought of moving
the event from South Africa. There was never a Plan B. We never, ever thought
of it. There have been no discussions in FIFA about that except other countries
have a Plan B”. “Not for safety and security reasons, not for infrastructure or
capability reasons and not for technical reasons,” added the FIFA scribe.

On lessons FIFA has learnt from Africa’s first World Cup, Valcke
said, “FIFA had learned a number of valuable lessons from the first African
World Cup. One of the most important of these was around ticketing mechanisms
and systems in South Africa specifically and in developing economies generally.

“The reality is that many South Africans do not have access to
the technology we used for ticket sales. This has been a valuable lesson which
we will apply when Brazil hosts the World Cup in 2014.” Also responding to
questions at the meeting, Chairman, Local Organising Committee of the World
Cup, Danny Jordaan, said every South African had been carried along in the
build up to the event. He noted that, “Everyone feels a sense of pride.”

He also added that preparations for the World Cup have impacted
on every sector of the South African economy. “There is an increase in the
number of women in construction; the country continues to be a construction
site.” He also noted that telecoms, marketing and tourism sectors have also
been involved and impacted. “It is about job creation, about building a better
society”, Jordaan added.

Speaking in the same vein, Thandiwe January-McLean, chief
executive officer, South Africa Tourism (SAT), said that apart from big
companies, small entrepreneurs will also benefit from the World Cup. She noted
that SAT has continued to create excitement around the world about the fiesta.
Sports tourism, January-McLean, added, will continue to grow.