With its picturesque beaches, breathtaking mountain ranges and laid-back atmosphere, Cape Town is set to be one of the 2010 FIFA World Cup's showpiece cities.

And the beautiful coastal city on Africa's southernmost tip moved a huge step closer to realising its World Cup dreams today when the city held a sod-turning ceremony for its R2,7-billion Green Point Stadium.

The stadium, nestled at the foot of Cape Town's famous Table Mountain and within walking distance of the popular Victoria and Alfred Waterfront, will be far and away the South African 2010 World Cup's most scenic venue.

The chief executive officer of South Africa's 2010 FIFA World Cup Organising Committee (O.C), Dr Danny Jordaan, said the sod-turning ceremony, which will pave the way for construction of the stadium to commence, was a significant moment for the O.C.

"This is an important milestone for the delivery of the World Cup in our country. Cape Town is a major international destination and will form one of the central pillars of delivering a world-class event in South Africa.

The sod-turning ceremony signals a huge vote of confidence in the work that has been done in Cape Town. We must give credit to mayor Helen Zille and the entire council of the city of Cape Town," said Dr Jordaan.

Mayor Zille called today's ceremony a "celebration" for the city and its people.

"It's a red letter day in Green Point. The whole world must look at South Africa after 2010 and say Africans could do it. They could get it right professionally, on time, co-operatively and they could get it right in style," said Zille.

The city, which attracts hundreds of thousands of tourists every year, is bidding to host a World Cup semifinal in 2010.

The stadium will be built by a consortium of the Murray and Roberts and WBHO construction companies.

"The 70 000-seater capacity of the stadium in the city will be a significant boost in terms of the additional number of tickets that will be available to South Africans for World Cup matches. The high number of accommodation available in the city, together with the good public transport network and the beauty of the city will certainly make Cape Town one of the strengths of South Africa's bid to deliver a world-class event," added Dr Jordaan.

Cape Town is rich in football tradition and has produced players such as Blackburn Rovers' prolific striker Benni McCarthy, Bolton Rovers' Quinton Fortune and former Charlton Athletic striker Shaun Bartlett over the years, "The Green Point World Cup stadium will strengthen the football character of the city. Cape Town has over many years produced quality players and the FIFA World Cup is a huge opportunity for professional football in the city. With a world-class facility available to football in Cape Town, there is no limit to football pursuing the former glory of Cape Town as an important hub of football in our country. The city's footballers will now have the stadium available to deliver high-quality entertainment to the city's many football fans," added Dr Jordaan.

Western Cape Premier Ebrahim Rasool said Cape Town would be a "welcoming window to the world in 2010".

"Today we send a signal to FIFA and the rest of the world that Cape Town is ready to meet all its obligations for 2010," said Rasool.


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