SOUTH AFRICA: FOOTBALL / SOCCER - Franz Beckenbauer visits site of future stadium in Cape Town, says "very impressed" with 2010 World Cup preparations

FIFA executive member Franz Beckenbauer inspected the site of the stadium being built in Cape Town on Friday (September 7) and expressed his confidence South Africa will host a successful 2010 World Cup despite the country's crime problem and other challenges clouding its preparations. High levels of violence have raised fears that fans and players could be easy pickings for criminals in the nine host cities. Always diplomatic, Beckenbauer prefered to praise the new 68,000 capacity venue which is under construction on the same site of the old Cape Town ground. "I'm very very happy to be here and this is one of the best and nicest cities in the world, Cape Town and I feel like home and to be witness you know, what's happening be hind me, to get a complete new stadium," said the former German captain. Beckenbauer added he was "very optimistic" the construction and refurbishment of the 10 World Cup stadiums would be completed in time, with Johannesburg providing two venues. Beckenbauer mentioned how good the World Cup to promote South Africa's image abroad. "You know, the television figure at the last World Cup was 30 billion you know, watching the World Cup, watching all the games. So, the whole world will be focusing on South Africa so I think it's a gift from God you know to really host the World Cup," he said. The German great, a World Cup winner as a player and coach and head of the organising committee of last year's finals in his native country, caused a stir in 2006 when he said South Africa's effort was "beset by big problems". The remark came amid rumours that world soccer's governing body FIFA was worried about the slow pace of stadium construction and was interpreted as support for moving the tournament to another country, possibly Germany. In a letter to South African organisers, Beckenbauer later said his comments had been falsely portrayed and at no point had he suggested Germany or another country should be made a substitute host. He then apologised for the confusion and pledged his total support for South Africa. In his Cape Town inspection, Beckenbauer even raised the possibility that a country from Africa country could win the first World Cup held in that continent. "I think it's a good chance for the first time in the history of the game an African country will win the world cup. It's possible. When you see the talent and the quality of the players you know like most of the players, the talented players, they're playing in Europe and they have a great education so they bring all the talents back to the world cup 2010 and I think there's a good chance for an African country, whoever it is you know to win the world cup for the first time," he said.

ITN Source | September 8, 2007

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