Harare — SOUTH African Football Association deputy president Irvin Khoza is set to visit Zimbabwe early next month as part of the 2010 Word Cup awareness campaign.

Khoza, who was initially scheduled to visit Zimbabwe last year, confirmed his trip to this part of the world when he recently met the chief executive of the Zimbabwe Tourism Authority Karikoga Kaseke in South Africa.

Khoza is the chairman of the organising committee of the 2010 World Cup in South Africa and Kaseke said his trip would present an opportunity for different stakeholders to get clarity on issues related to the world's biggest soccer showcase that might not be clear.

"Irvin Khoza reaffirmed coming to Zimbabwe not later than July 15 and he is going to be accompanied by a powerful delegation.

"This is an opportunity for most stakeholders to get clarity on issues related to the staging of the World Cup that might not be clear," he said.

Kaseke also said that they have also invited Fifa president Sepp Blatter to visit the country.

"We invited the Fifa president to (visit) Zimbabwe and our invitation was received positively. However, we were told that there are procedures on how to invite him and we are already following those procedures to bring him here," said Kaseke.

Kaseke also urged the local media to be "objective" when reporting on issues related to the staging of the 2010 World Cup.

He said the media must also assist in maintaining the good relationship between Zifa and Fifa.

"Relations between Zifa and Fifa are good and they must be maintained and we must not destroy what Zifa has built with Fifa over the past years," Kaseke said.

The ZTA boss also announced that all the teams that would have qualified for the 2010 World Cup finals are going to be in South Africa for a workshop from December 3-10 during which the countries that are looking at hosting some of these teams would present their case. Mozambique, Lesotho, Swaziland, Namibia and Botswana have already been invited to attend the workshop.

But Kaseke said Zimbabwe were initially not invited for the same workshop because of some media reports that criticised Match Company.

Match Company were engaged by Fifa to conduct everything that has nothing to do with football itself such as the arrangement of accommodation and transport.

They also decide on who issues and sales match tickets for the 2010 World Cup.

Kaseke said Zimbabwe has now been included in programme after the local authorities had a meeting with Match Company and the chief advisor of the Fifa president and apologised for any inconveniences that were caused by "the negative press reports".

"I'm happy that our apology was accepted and we must not talk as if we have been given conditions different from others because even South African hotels were given the same conditions," said Karikoga.

He also said teams that would have booked their tickets for the 2010 World Cup finals will decide on their own where they would want to stay during their preparations for the tournament.

"Teams will decide on their own where they want to stay depending on what you would have presented.

"We, as Zimbabwe, must go there with one voice and speak with the interest of the country," he said.

Kaseke said the reigning world soccer champions Italy wanted to camp in Zimbabwe but changed their "mind" after they were told about the exorbitant accommodation prices that some local hotels were reported to be charging.

He also said that in October members of the press from all the qualifying teams would be in South Africa for a one-month tour.