Time is no longer a luxury for the South African Local Organizing Committee (LOC) for the 2010 FIFA World Cup as they only have three years left to ensure that South Africa is ready to host the World Cup, a FIFA official said on Thursday.

Everything must be in place for the soccer showpiece by the 2009 Confederations Cup, warned Jerome Valcke, marketing and television director of the international soccer governing body.

"South Africa has to be ready by 2009 for the Confederations Cup. 2009 is tomorrow and we must start moving now. The LOC who were in Germany recently realise that it is a huge event," Valcke was quoted as saying by the South African Press Association at a function at a local radio.

Confederation Cup tournament in 2009 in South Africa will be used to test the readiness of the country to host the world soccer extravaganza in 2010.

Valcke said that South Africa was under obligation to follow in the footsteps of Germany and that it should host a World Cup uniquely South African.

He was quick to tender advise to South Africa to improve their transportation infrastructure, accommodation, security and communication as these are the basic necessities in hosting a World Cup.

There have been constant doubts on whether South Africa could make the 2010 World Cup, the first one in Africa, successful given its weakness in those fields. But South Africa has strongly denied, saying it is confident to deliver a successful World Cup.

Valcke said FIFA is confident that South Africa already has the bulk of the 10 stadiums in place and has tabled the nine host cities required to host the 64 matches.

"South Africa does not need to do the same as Germany. South Africa must have their own World Cup," Valcke said.