FIFA head lists England, Australia among back-up World Cup venues

Johannesburg - The president of football's ruling body FIFA has cited England and Australia among the countries that could be called on to host the 2010 World Cup if South Africa is not ready on time, reports said Monday. While insisting he was confident that South Africa would host the tournament, Joseph Blatter noted that several other countries could host the World Cup at short notice, South Africa's SAfm radio reported. In case of further delays in South Africa's World Cup planning, FIFA had contingency plans in place, Blatter was quoted widely as saying on BBC's Inside Sport programme in a broadcast to be aired later Monday. The World Cup local organizing committee was not directly available for comment. Concerns over delays in the construction of new stadia, high crime levels and an acute skills shortage in the area of infrastructure development have dogged South Africa's World Cup organization. South Africa is the first African country to be selected to host the tournament. © 2007 dpa - Deutsche Presse-Agentur

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TERRY CARPENTERApr 30th, 2007 - 14:42:03

Big mistake putting the football World Cup in South Africa.
A non football nation with very high crime and lawlessness.
TC

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Michael CarterApr 30th, 2007 - 15:07:49

How exactly is South Africa NOT a football nation? Because Rugby is the favourite sport of the white minority? They account for less than 10% of the population. For everyone else, the national sport is soccer.

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N MahomedMay 1st, 2007 - 14:59:57

South Africa is not a soccer nation,nor a rugby nation,nor a cricket nation. It is a criminal nation. Crime is the national sport. Let us rather stage the World Cup of crime.

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