Lagos — Proprietors of Southern Sun Hotel in Lagos has defended the reason they did so much to bring the recently concluded World Cup Finals of South Africa 2010 to the Nigerian populace and have not followed that up with the FIFA Under-20 Women's World Cup going on right now in Germany; a tournament in which Nigeria's representatives, the Falconets, have been doing well.

The hotel's administrators say they had to go to the lengths they did for the World Cup Finals because it was happening for the first time ever in the continent.

The hotel, for South Africa 2010, had opened viewing centers within its premises for fans, and during the 30 day-period, its personnel had worn the green and white colours of the Super Eagles to work as a way of identifying with the nations' football aspiration, whether Nigeria were playing or not.

Also throughout the period, the sound of the vuvuzela was never in want. The gesture was applauded by customers and sundry observers and was seen as a plus for the group, which has 80 odd hotel outlets across the world.

Southern Sun is the latest South African hotel group to open an outlet in Lagos, the business and economic capital of Nigeria. They follow in the footsteps of local peers Protea and Sun International.

Richard Weilers, the managing director of Southern Sun Offshore, said Lagos, as one of the world's fastest-growing cities, is a key area of development for Southern Sun.