Danny Jordaan
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Put those thoughts of the 2010 World Cup in the USA, England or Germany out of your mind …
“Plan B is dead,” Danny Jordaan, head of the World Cup local organizing committee told reporters in Johannesburg in a year-end review of preparations for the tournament.
Jordaan was referring to speculation earlier this year that FIFA, soccer’s world governing body could yank the World Cup from South Africa if the country was deemed ill-prepared to become the first African host of the tournament.
FIFA president Joseph Blatter’s admission in June that FIFA had a ‘Plan B’ when it came to the host nation made for sensational headlines.
By now, the skeptics, mostly Europeans, have been proved wrong, according to Jordaan.
All 10 World Cup stadiums - five new, five upgraded - will be ready on time, he said.
Having said this, the cost will be higher than forecast due in part to a weaker rand.
“All of the stadiums will be complete and there is no doubt about that,” Jordaan told a news conference.
“Some of the (construction) materials will be procured outside the country. As the rand weakens, there will be some cost overruns,” he said, noting that the price of oil added another layer of unpredictability to the process.
Rising prices for imported cement, steel and other key building materials and higher labor costs have wreaked havoc on the stadium construction budget, leading to a 3.2 billion rand ($314 million) shortfall.
Local organizers are concerned about keeping the budget from spinning out of control and finding the funds to meet the shortfall, which the South African government has already pledged 1.4 billion rand towards.
In the past year the currency has lost about 30 percent of its value against the U.S. dollar and 24 percent versus the euro. The eurozone is South Africa’s main trading partner.
South Africa expects 480,000 visitors for the World Cup, which starts on June 11, 2010, and hopes the month-long finals will spur tourism and investment in Africa’s richest economy.
MY POV: Good for South Africa. About time they showered good news on the non-believers around the world.
Written by Darkvader on December 11th, 2008 with no comments.
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FIFA wants everyone to know that they’re happy with South Africa’s preparations ahead of the 2010 World Cup, no matter what anyone may think …
FIFA general secretary Jerome Valcke said that there are still issues to be resolved ahead of the first-ever African World Cup, but that the mood was still positive.
“I think we should forget this question now,” Valcke said, asked about the possibility of another country stepping in. “It’s been a lot of work since May 2004 and I think there is still a lot of work until June 14 2009 [when South Africa hosts the Confederations Cup] and the 2010 World Cup.
“I think it’s a lot of issues and we have to make sure we are working on them all the time. The main issues are security, transportation, accommodation, overlay; it’s all what you need to host a World Cup. It’s normal, because there is not a single country ready 18 months prior to the World Cup. When we had the Confederations Cup in Germany, it’s where we discovered that lots of things were not working. There is no question that it was the right decision to bring the World Cup to South Africa.”
The CEO of the World Cup Local Organizing Committee (LOC) Danny Jordaan thinks that although South Africa has experienced problems, they’re getting there.
“Firstly, we are focusing on the Confederations Cup,” he said. “These are existing stadiums, however there is still a gap between the existing stadiums and the event requirements. So we are focusing on that to make sure that by the end of December, all of the four stadiums for the Confederations Cup are fully compliant with all requirements for the event; and then [making] sure all of the stadiums are complete by October next year and also then to focus on the final draw on December 4 next year.”
Valcke hinted that the 2018 tournament could be given to a “rich” country, possibly from Europe. The 2014 World Cup will be held in Brazil, which probably means it isn’t a ‘rich’ country.
“I have a feeling that Germany tomorrow morning could host the World Cup. Because they have a very strong professional league, stadiums are ready, so there are a few European countries [who] will not have to spend as much money as South Africa is doing or as Brazil will have to do because there is not a single, what we call, World Cup stadium in Brazil.
“And they will have to provide us with these stadiums and work on them. Again, I have the feeling that there will be competition, I would say between five to eight countries, bidding for 2018.
“These will come from four confederations as Africa and South America will not have access to 2018. It will be potentially the so-called ‘rich’ countries, where there is already the infrastructure we need to host a World Cup.”
MY POV: The more I listen to these FIFA cronies talk, the more I wish they’d be quiet.
How condescending of them to talk about giving the 2018 World Cup to a ‘rich’ country?
How about just letting events play out and letting the citizens of South Africa enjoy the process of the 2010 World Cup?
More and more, it feels like FIFA has absolutely no confidence in South Africa. It seems like they’re wringing their hands clean of the 2010 Cup, rueing their decision to give the 2014 Cup to a poor country like Brazil and focusing on the ‘cash money’ bonanza of the 2018 Cup.
USA 2018 anyone? The more you hear FIFA bellow, the more it sounds like they’d hold every World Cup in the USA and England if they had the chance …
It’s all about the money, isn’t it? How stupid of me to believe it was about more than just the cash …
Written by Darkvader on November 25th, 2008 with no comments.
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A few weeks ago, FIFA president Sepp Blatter said the world’s economic meltdown would not affect the 2010 World Cup at all.
Now, South African organizers of the 2010 World Cup expressed concern Friday about the effect the global financial crisis will have on the tournament, which is already running well over budget.
Back to reality, guys …
The South African government has had to allocate an extra $136 million for stadium construction because of rising prices, pushing total costs to more than 30 billion rand. That is 10 times the amount originally budgeted.
The South African rand has fallen about 30 percent against the dollar in recent weeks and as the U.S. and Europe slide into recession, there are concerns fans will not have money to travel or buy tickets.
Danny Jordaan, head of the local World Cup organizing committee, said organizers were taking a “wait and see approach” but that there were indications that the world financial outlook will be more positive by 2010.
“Even if you accept people have fewer dollars in their pockets, those dollars will buy more rands. So people may still travel because the destination becomes cheaper,” he said.
South Africa has been hoping that the World Cup will act as a catalyst for economic growth and a boom in tourism with an anticipated 350,000 visitors expected to flood into the country for the monthlong event.
Jerome Valcke, FIFA’s secretary general, said that while football fans may be facing tighter times, tickets for the most-watched tournament in the world will still be sought after.
Valcke also gave reassurances that FIFA’s finances were in good shape and would not be affected by the turmoil in world markets.
“We are not afraid even as we recognize there is a very strong crisis,” he said. “Sport is one safe business that gives something when all else is going wrong.
Written by Darkvader on November 21st, 2008 with no comments.
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Interesting article in today’s New York Times about Danny Jordaan, South Africa’s World Cup chief organizer.
Jordaan flew into New York for meetings this week and happened to land here right as the United States was electing their first African-American President, Barack Obama.
Considering South Africa’s delicate history with race and apartheid, it was an interesting time for Jordaan to be in New York.
According to the article, Obama’s election reminded him of the time South African Nelson Mandela was let out of prison in 1990.
It was a strange evening to be landing in New York. Jordaan, the chairman of the South African committee that will stage the World Cup of soccer in 2010, watched the celebration on CNN and compared the mood in America to the mood in South Africa on Feb. 11, 1990, the day Nelson Mandela walked out of prison after 27 years.
“The majority celebrated,” recalled Jordaan, who had worked against apartheid without going to prison or into exile. “But many people did not celebrate,” he recalled. “You have to be magnanimous.”
Obama has long expressed his respect for Mandela, saying he had been inspired by a visit to Mandela’s former prison cell on Robben Island. In turn, Mandela sent a message to Obama on Wednesday, saying, in part, “Your victory has demonstrated that no person anywhere in the world should not dare to dream of wanting to change the world for a better place.”
While much of the world sees Obama’s victory as a new symbol of hope, a successful 2010 World Cup in South Africa would be equally satisfying to many.
Jordaan is assuring people that everything will be ready in approximately 600 days’ time.
Joseph S. Blatter, the president of FIFA, once mentioned a Plan B for the World Cup, then amended his remarks to say they referred only to natural disaster. But Jordaan knows there is skepticism about the stadiums, the hotels, the transportation, the security.
Just about every major sports tournament around the world is dogged by tardiness, incompetence, graft, repression, you name it. The tear gas from civil unrest had barely been cleared before the 1988 Summer Games in Seoul, and they were a success. The trolley lines and expressways had barely been opened in Athens in time for the 2004 Summer Games.
“And we finished half an hour before the first game,” Sunil Gulati, the president of the United States Soccer Federation, said about the 1994 World Cup in the U.S.
But a tournament for 32 national teams, including the woeful national team of South Africa, automatically invited as host, is a huge task from a nation still only 14 years past gigantic change. A caretaker government is in charge at the moment, awaiting a new election in 2009, but Jordaan suavely noted that Germany had a change of parties as well as chancellors shortly before the highly successful 2006 World Cup.
South Africa will be fine. Obama will do great things. And in 2010, the world will have something else to celebrate: the wonderful experience of an African World Cup …
Written by Darkvader on November 7th, 2008 with no comments.
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Apparently football’s greatest tournament isn’t affected by world economics …
According to Danny Jordaan, president of the South African organizing committee, the world economic crisis will only have a “limited impact” on preparations for the 2010 World Cup.
Jordaan said stadium construction costs had gone up by 10 percent compared with the initial budget, due to the rising cost of steel, concrete and exchange rate variations.
“These increases were calculated some while ago and all costs are now frozen. There will therefore not be an impact on our stadium budget,” he added.
“No one in the world can say they are not affected by the world economic crisis but its impact should be less on our country. What worries us the most is the long term consequences and the quicker we get through this, the better. We are keeping an eye on what is happening but as I speak there is not a serious or direct impact on World Cup preparations.”
MY POV: Well, at least something is immune from the pressures of the world economic crisis. Why not let it be football? Of course we all know that the Cup’s attendance figures may suffer and the South African economy may be impacted a bit during the games.
But it’s nice to know there’s a stable constant in this world: football.
Something tells me that people will pay out of their nose no matter their economic situation should their country make the Cup …
Written by Darkvader on October 21st, 2008 with no comments.
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While most of the world is in qualification mode for the 2010 World Cup, the host country South Africa is also in ‘qualification mode.’
FIFA president Sepp Blatter visits South Africa next week and organizers of the 2010 World Cup are confident the head of football’s organizing body will like what he sees.
There’s been talk of moving the World Cup from South Africa to another country more prepared to handle it, like the United States or Germany. So this visit by Blatter and his cronies takes on a significant measure of importance.
Will they like what they see? Will they deem the country fit to host the biggest sporting event in the world?
Blatter begins a four-day visit to South Africa September 14, during which he’ll visit World Cup facilities in Johannesburg and Cape Town, World Cup Local Organising Committee (LOC) chief Danny Jordaan said.
“We have made tremendous progress and we hope to showcase this progress to him during his visit,” Jordaan told journalists while wiping sweat from his brow.
While the news that FIFA might move the World Cup startled the local organizing chiefs, they’re sure FIFA will like what they see this week.
“We are confident that we can host the competition. Long before 2010 all the (10) stadia for the competition will be ready,” Jordaan said, adding that an expected change in government next year will not affect the game hosting.
General elections are scheduled to be held next year in South Africa.
Approximately three million tickets will be sold for the 2010 World Cup in which 32 teams will participate, the LOC head of legal and tickets department, Leslie Sedibe, said.
A total of 120,000 complimentary tickets will be handed out to FIFA and LOC officials as well as “builders” of the stadia, he said.
The World Cup, will be preceded next year by the FIFA Confederations Cup, to be staged in four stadia across South Africa from June 14 to 28 next year.
The draw for the Confederations Cup, will be made on November 22 this year and the tickets will be put on sale five days later, he also said.
An estimated three million people will be at the stadia for the World Cup’s 64 matches while 30 billion people across the globe will watch the matches on the television, organizers said.
South Africa, which budgeted 30 billion rand (3.8 billion dolllars/ 2.6 billion euros) to host the World Cup, has recently requested a supplementary budget of three billion rand to meet the rising cost of materials from the government, Jordaan said.
“We have engaged government on a 10 percent increase on the World Cup budget. The increase is due to the effects of the global economy and the rising costs on our budget, including the rising cost of diesel” he stated.
MY POV: As I’ve stated before, it would be devastating to African football should FIFA move the Cup from South Africa. I’m more than confident Blatter and his henchman will like what they see next week. They better … why wouldn’t they??
Written by Darkvader on September 5th, 2008 with no comments.
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Leave it to FIFA to wait for the most opportune time to condemn a despot.
Today, South Africa 2010’s organizing committee finally came out and said the 2010 tournament and the continent need peace in Zimbabwe. You think?
FIFA general-secretary Jerome Valcke and Danny Jordaan, the chief executive officer of the South African organizing committee discussed the economic and political crises in neighboring Zimbabwe.
South Africa is the main regional power and has been accused of doing too little to push for reform in Zimbabwe. Some activists have even threatened a campaign similar to the pressure Olympic host China has faced over Tibet.
MY POV: Read this great editorial from the New York Times for more about this movement.
Jordaan, though, said Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe, accused of killing political opponents and ruining a once vibrant economy, was resisting South African President Thabo Mbeki’s “quiet diplomacy” as well as more vocal international criticism.
“It’s clear that Mugabe has ignored everyone, including Mbeki,” Jordaan said. “Why must South Africa be singled out when he ignores the whole world?” MY POV: Because you’re the regional power and your influence could stifle Mugabe’s dictatorial ways.
He said he hoped for a diplomatic breakthrough soon.
“Before we come to 2010, we must have a stable Zimbabwe,” Jordaan said. “It’s in all our interests.” MY POV: Sorry for being cynical, but it sounds like once their bank accounts are involved, they finally care about the Zimbabwe situation. SA officials know that if the situation in Zimbabwe continues to persist, their World Cup could be affected. So now they care …
Tournament organizers have already felt the impact of Zimbabwe’s turmoil, he said. South Africa needs all the hotel rooms it can get, and Jordaan envisions some soccer fans spending their nights in neighboring Swaziland and Mozambique. High-end hotels in Zimbabwe’s Victoria Falls area would also be ideal, but Jordaan said they aren’t on the list because of Zimbabwe’s predicament.
Valcke was asked whether FIFA was using its influence to encourage Mbeki on the Zimbabwe question.
“The World Cup is a huge leverage, but there are limits,” Valcke said. “The World Cup doesn’t give you the power to push President Mbeki to say anything other than what he wants to say …. We can just say that we are concerned … and we have to find a solution.”
MY POV: I don’t think this is the last we’ll hear of this situation. Football is the people’s game and something is bound to boil over should this Mugabe situation persist. The Zimbabwean people, the South African people and anyone that cares about the situation there will make their voices heard loud and clear.
Written by Darkvader on July 9th, 2008 with no comments.
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Since the time FIFA president Sepp Blatter announced that the 2010 World Cup would be staged in South Africa, people have wondered whether the Cup would actually be held in the African country.
Will South Africa be able to host the World Cup? Will people travel to a country riddled with crime problems for the biggest sporting event in the world? Will companies invest in the African nation?
2010 World Cup organizing committee chief Danny Jordaan has worked hard to squash negative assumptions, assuring everyone the World Cup in South Africa (SA) will be a huge success.
Still, Blatter has again stirred controversy by saying that SA could still lose the rights to host the 2010 World Cup in the event of a catastrophe. MY POV: What catastrophe?
However, Jordaan downplayed the concerns.
“I have spoken to Blatter and he reaffirmed that only God can prevent South Africa staging the World Cup in 2010,” Jordaan said. “Blatter has gone out of his way to bring the 2010 World Cup to South Africa. It makes no sense for him to say he has another plan. Obviously FIFA must have a plan if we suffered a major natural catastrophe, but that is all.”
Yet, Blatter keeps talking about a contingency. And there are problems.
According to the Zimbabwean, ‘a group of committed and professional Zimbabwean journalists and friends from around the world who have come together to start the first physical newspaper for Zimbabweans in exile’, there are growing fears that Zimbabwe’s economic and political crisis could impact negatively on the 2010 FIFA World Cup.
This is the warning of analysts who believe the problems in President Robert Mugabe’s country could spill into South Africa and the rest of the region, and thus make the region volatile ahead of the global football fiesta.
Zimbabwe Exiles Forum (ZEF) director Gabriel Shumba said the prevailing situation did not bode well for the hosting of a successful event.
“The possibility of a civil war is very high (in Zimbabwe), which can only mean that the Zimbabwe issue will in practice impact massively on the region as a threat to regional peace,” he said.
So where does the USA fit into all this?
According to boston.com, the USA could step in should South Africa be declared unable to host the Cup. (Yes, I’m having a little fun with the picture above … I am American, by the way.)
“I would be a very negligent president if I didn’t have a Plan B ready for the 2010 World Cup,” Blatter said in an interview in Vienna Sunday.
A decision on confirming South Africa as the first African country to play host to the World Cup will be made following the Confederations Cup, scheduled for June 14-28, 2009.
Eight countries will participate - Brazil (South American champion), Egypt (Africa), Iraq (Asia), Italy (World Cup), South Africa (host), Spain (Europe), the US (CONCACAF), and an Oceania representative.
Stadium construction delays and security fears have raised concerns that South Africa might not be capable of hosting the event.
“We will decide after the test of the Confederations Cup and only a catastrophe would put the alternative plan into effect,” Blatter said. “The World Cup is a logistical challenge and South Africa wants to shows the world it is able to do it.”
The US is among the few countries capable of hosting a World Cup on short notice.
MY POV: I understand Blatter’s need to make contingency plans for the Cup. But does he need to talk about it every month?
Does he really think this instills confidence in the people of South Africa?
Look, we all know the problems hosting a World Cup in South Africa present.
From SA crime to regional difficulties, everyone involved knew hosting a Cup in SA wouldn’t be easy.
But as Jordaan has said many times in rebuttal to Blatter’s comments, the money is streaming in, the stadiums are being built and the infrastructure is growing.
Why harp about the need for contingency in every public comment about the 2010 Cup? How come Blatter didn’t do this with Germany 2006 or Korea/Japan 2002? Why haven’t we heard criticism of Brazil 2014? Brazil’s soccer federation and soccer infrastructure is in shambles. Crime is just as rampant in the South American nation. Why no talk of a contingency there?
If FIFA wanted SA to prove their worth in 2009 with the Confederations Cup, I wish they had just named the USA the host of the 2010 Cup from the beginning.
I see SA having to pass a ‘quiz’ in 2009 as a slap in the face. They’re doing what needs to be done. Why keep examining every fiber of their build-up? Does anyone in FIFA have confidence in SA?
What do you think? Please leave comments and opinions.
Written by Darkvader on July 3rd, 2008 with no comments.
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When the chief executive officer for the 2010 World Cup organizing committee Danny Jordaan speaks, we tend to listen.
Not only is the man educated and inspired, he’s the head of South Africa’s efforts to make the first-ever African World Cup a riveting success.
Today, two separate Jordaan tidbits.
First, Jordaan is tired of being asked whether the nation will have everything ready on time.
He also says the 2010 tournament will be the most commercially successful in soccer history.
‘We are selling tickets and people still ask ‘Will you be ready?”’ Jordaan said Tuesday on a visit to the Euro 2008 tournament.
”The teams are playing qualification for the World Cup in South Africa. These national teams, if they just look on their sleeves, they will see 2010 World Cup South Africa. That’s what they are playing for. So it is a reality.”
Jordaan helped South Africa become host after it was narrowly beaten by Germany in voting for the 2006 World Cup. He said critics who thought FIFA had arranged a backup host were wrong.
”I think it was misconception in the world that there was a so-called Plan B,” said Jordaan, chief executive officer of the South African 2010 organizing committee. ”It was just not real. I think it’s a lack of understanding. I think it’s ignorance, frankly.”
”If there was an issue around the hosting of the World Cup in South Africa, then the commercial partners of FIFA, the big multinational companies who actually pay to be associated with the event, would say, ‘We want to pay less for South Africa than for Germany. You might give us a discount,’ ” he said.
”Did they insist on a discount? No. Are they paying more? Yes. That is why you find that the German World Cup generated $2.8 billion. The commercial program is not done yet, but South African World Cup is generating $3.2 billion. So which World Cup has produced the highest revenue in the history of FIFA? The 2010 World Cup. It’s outperformed every other World Cup.”
MY POV: Please click the link to read more of Jordaan’s comments. You have to admire the fire and passion Mr. Jordaan has for the South African Cup. He believes and makes us believe in the process. I think he’s right on every point. SA 2010 is going to be a tremendous success …
But wait, there’s more!
Jordaan thinks an African team can reach the 2010 World Cup final. Why not??
“African players like Eto’o, Drogba and Essien are now among the best players in the top leagues in the world,” he told a news conference at the Euro 2008 tournament.
“African teams will be able to compete in 2010. By 2010, African teams will have the correct level of support to be major contenders.
“That shows the progress African football has made over the last five years.”
Cameroon’s Samuel Eto’o, Didier Drogba of Ivory Coast and Ghana’s Michael Essien have become key figures at top European clubs. Eto’o helped Barcelona win the 2006 Champions League, while Drogba and Essien have enjoyed trophy success in England with Chelsea.
No African team has gone beyond the quarter-finals of any World Cup to date. A last eight place was achieved by Cameroon in 1990 and Senegal in 2002.
“We want to see an African team in the final for the first time,” Jordaan said, adding there were a number of nations who had shown they could do well in the finals, including Ghana, Cameroon and Nigeria.
“There is no reason that an African team cannot reach the final on African soil,” he said.
“Football in Africa can create a truly wonderful celebration,” he said.
MY POV: We’re with you there, Danny. Now can you please help me get to SA? PLEASE?
Written by Darkvader on June 25th, 2008 with no comments.
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So here we are, a mere two years until the start of South Africa’s World Cup, the 2010 championships.
The opening game will be played on June 11, 2010 at Johannesburg’s 94,000-seat Soccer City Stadium.
Organizing committee chief executive Danny Jordaan told Reuters the total cost for the 10 venues is likely to go well above the budget of $1.24 billion. That’s some serious change.
“Final costs of the stadiums are soaring as a result of the downturn in the world economy,” said Jordaan.
“We don’t know what the final impact of the economic downturn and rising fuel prices will be on our costs. It’s unfortunately a moving target.”
But Jordaan is confident that the first World Cup to be played in Africa will make the continent proud.
“I think what we’ve achieved since May 2004 gives me a level of contentment and confidence that the event will be a success.” he said.
“I’m happy with how quickly we have come along and with the legacy we’re going to leave for football in this country. Our stadiums will be world class.”
South Africa are upgrading five existing venues and building five new stadiums for the 32-team tournament.
The budget for stadium construction and renovation has risen by over 60% from the initial estimate. Wow!
The South African team had a minor boost with a 4-1 defeat of Equatorial Guinea in the combined 2010 World Cup and African Cup of Nations qualifiers over the weekend.
But the team still has some way to go if it is to be a force at the World Cup, under new Brazilian coach Joel Santana.
MY POV: I can’t believe it’s only two years until the start of the 2010 finals. It feels like only yesterday I started this blog in Brooklyn. Now we’re only two years away and I STILL don’t have a plan in place for getting there … better get on the ball, eh?
Written by Darkvader on June 10th, 2008 with no comments.
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