Mninawa Ntloko
19 November 2008
Johannesburg — DANNY Jordaan - the CEO of the 2010 Soccer World Cup local organising committee - admitted yesterday that hosting next year's Confederations Cup would be a huge challenge for SA.
Jordaan said filling the stadiums and ensuring that no matches during the Confederations Cup - even those featuring the less glamorous nations - were played before empty stands would be the biggest challenge.
"The world continues to see SA as a rugby and cricket country because football was in complete isolation for so many years," he said.
"If we have empty stands during the Confederations Cup it will strengthen the view that we are not a footballing nation.
"Of course this is not true because football is actually the number one sport in SA."
Unlike the World Cup, Fifa and the organising committee are going to need the nation's soccer lovers to pack the stadiums next year as there will not be too many people travelling from other countries to watch the games.
But the tournament -- which gets under way from June 14 and ends on June 28 - faces stiff competition from the British and Irish Lions tour as a programme of 10 rugby matches has been fitted around the Cup. The Lions begin their programme in Rustenburg at the Royal Bafokeng Sports Palace on May 30 next year.
As the Cup will be played at Ellis Park, the Royal Bafokeng Sports Palace, Free State Stadium and Loftus, a compromise had to be reached as the Lions tour will also make use of the same venues.
The draw for the eight-team Confederations Cup is scheduled to be held in Johannesburg on Saturday and tickets for the event are supposed to go on sale on Sunday.
Jordaan said it was absolutely crucial that the beleaguered national team Bafana Bafana at least managed to reach the semifinals of a tournament that would feature world champions Italy, Brazil, Spain, Egypt, US, Iraq and New Zealand.
"When we walk away from the Confederations Cup, we will either be very hopeful or worried ahead of the World Cup to be held the following year.
"You will have three of the best teams in the world taking part next year and you would expect them to reach the semifinals.
"So if Spain, Italy and Brazil all make it to the semis of the Confederations Cup, that means there is space for a fourth team. If Bafana is to give us hope, we do not expect Iraq, New Zealand, the US or even Egypt to claim that fourth place and move into the semifinals ahead of us.
"The fact is we have to beat the likes of Egypt to earn that spot and it is important that we perform."
Jordaan's expectations go against beleaguered national coach Joel Natalino Santana's assertion that it is not important that Bafana do well in the Confederations Cup.
Santana has spent the past few weeks trying to convince the nation's soccer lovers that only the 2010 World Cup was important and anything else before that should be considered as practice for the global showpiece.
The Brazilian said yesterday he had already identified 90% of the players that will represent SA in the Confederations Cup and tonight's friendly international against Cameroon will bring him closer to finalising his squad.
Blackburn Rovers striker Benni McCarthy rejoined the squad after burying his father in Cape Town on Saturday.
"I'm very happy to be part of this great squad even though I am going through a difficult time in my life, but I made a decision to take part," McCarthy said yesterday. "I know that it is what my father would have liked me to do. He has been the pillar and inspiration in my game.
"Every footballer wants to be part of a game of this magnitude (against Cameroon) and I am looking forward to making the squad for the Confederations Cup and ultimately, the World Cup."
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