Jordaan turns on World Cup critics

(China Daily/Agencies)
Updated: 2010-03-06 08:05

LONDON - World Cup supremo Danny Jordaan hit out at critics of South Africa's preparations for this year's finals as he promised the most financially successful tournament in the event's history.

Reports in the South African press suggested a concerned FIFA, world football's governing body, was sending in 40 advisors to help bolster Jordaan's team in the run-up to the World Cup, which starts in fewer than 100 days' time.

But a confident Jordaan said here on Thursday: "There are not 40 advisors at FIFA with more experience than me. This is my fifth World Cup."

He said: "Forty advisors is too many. Jesus Christ only had 12 disciples. I don't have a single foreign advisor working for me.

"You must understand the task and have the ability to lead."

Jordaan, speaking at Chelsea Football Club, said this year's World Cup would be delivered on budget and be the most financially successful yet.

"We will deliver within our budget of $423 million," he saidafter giving a Royal African Society lecture in which he predicted FIFA would generate $3.5 billion from the continent's first World Cup.

"In Germany (at the 2006 World Cup), it was only $2.6 billion. This will be the highest revenue ever for a World Cup."

Jordaan, the chief executive of the 2010 World Cup organizing committee, said South Africa was involved in a journey "of perception and reality".

"The perception is South Africa will never be ready, the infrastucture won't be complete, the stadiums won't be complete, we will run out of money, no-one will come to South Africa, it is too dangerous, no-one will buy tickets," Jordaan said.

Jordaan, who added that 2.2 million out of a total 2.9 million tickets had already been sold, also confronted fears surrounding spectator safety at the World Cup.

"Our responsibility as an event organizer is to have a plan safeguarding everyone coming to the event," he said.

"That is why we will have 45,000 additional police recruits and 41,000 additional police."

Jordaan, an anti-apartheid activist and a former African National Congress (South Africa's governing party) MP said: "This world is uncertain and unstable, not just for one country.

"If you look at the track record of South Africa, it has hosted more than 150 major events since 1994, including the Rugby World Cup, the Cricket World Cup and last year we hosted the Indian Premier League after India was deemed unsafe and (rugby union's) British and Irish Lions and (football's) Confederations Cup - and there was not a single incident.

"We are comfortable but we will be vigilant.

"Currently, we have 11 million tourists coming to South Africa, we want 15 million by 2014 but can only get there if nothing happens in this World Cup. We want to maintain our reputation for hosting safe and secure events."