2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa

Unofficial 2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa blog. Features news, information about venues, photo gallery, and organizing committee details.

The world's biggest sporting event is coming to Africa for the first time in its 78-year-old history - The 2010 Fifa World CupTM. Here are quick facts about South Africa.

South Africa’s dreams of hosting the FIFA World CupTM took root several years before that exhilarating day of 15 May 2004, when it was announced that football’s showpiece would be coming here in 2010.
In fact, South Africa was a favourite in the bidding for the 2006 World Cup, but controversially lost the race to Germany by a single point after one FIFA delegate (New Zealand’s Charles Dempsey) unexpectedly abstained from voting – even though his confederation had told him to cast his ballot for South Africa.
But that huge disappointment for South Africa was softened by a decision by FIFA to rotate World Cup sites by continent – designating the 2010 tournament one that would be held in Africa.
From the beginning of the bid process South Africa committed that the 2010 World Cup would be an African World Cup, which would provide momentum to growth and development and the African renaissance. South Africa would be Africa’s stage and the bid book proclaimed: “Africa’s time has come, and South Africa is ready”.

When the moment for the announcement arrived, FIFA’s president, Sepp Blatter, painstakingly removed from an envelope the card that named the host of the 2010 World Cup. But even before he could declare the winner, his words were drowned out by supporters who had spotted the country’s name in large letters on the card.
After South Africa’s victory was announced, Mandela hoisted the World Cup trophy and Tutu embraced Blatter. “I feel like a young man of 15,” said Mandela, who was 85 at the time.
Back home, the announcement was broadcast live on outdoor screens. South Africans poured on to the streets, waving flags, dancing and blowing on vuvuzelas – the horns that have become an emblem of local football. Massive celebrations took place across the continent.
“We can all applaud Africa,” Blatter said. “The victor is football. The victor is Africa.”