Botswana's top diplomat in Britain, Roy Blackbeard is upbeat about the chances of the English national soccer side camping in Gaborone for the 2010 World Cup.

High Commissioner Roy Blackbeard said on Monday that unlike other countries like Mauritius who want to host the English team, Botswana has certain clear advantages. Besides security, peace, wildlife tourism and good facilities, he said that Botswana, unlike Mauritius, has the advantage of sharing a border with South Africa.

Blackbeard is in Gaborone to host a delegation from the English Football Association (FA). The delegation of former England football stars, Paul 'Gazza' Gascoigne, Ray Clemence and the FA head of international relations Jane Bateman are on a mission to explore whether the English team can camp in Botswana ahead of the World Cup. Blackbeard allayed fears that Botswana might not be ready to host England and other teams for the 2010 World Cup because of poor facilities.

He said that people must understand that the visit by the English delegation is not final but is a preliminary one intended to find out what is available and what can be done to suit the desires of the England team and supporters. "They will put a proposal before us and from there we can see what is achievable. That is why they have come here four years before time, so they can let us know their expectations. They are looking for good security, tourism opportunities, hotels, and stadium facilities," explained Blackbeard at the Monday press briefing held at the offices of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The envoy told the media that initially, the government wished to keep the visit a secret to avoid alerting other nations interested in hosting World Cup teams. He explained that it was Botswana, which requested to host England and that there might be several countries that also harbour the same ambitions. The England entourage will be shown top hotels such as Gaborone Sun, Gr and Palm and Cresta Lodge. They will also be treated to a game drive at the nearby Mokolodi.

FA executive director David Davis failed to make the trip due to a family bereavement. He would visit in the next few weeks to make his own assessment.