2010 Board Pleased with Preparations for Preliminary Draw Durban

FIFA confident that they are on track in preparation for the important qualifying draw for 2010 Soccer World Cup

The Board of Directors of the 2010 FIFA World Cup Organising Committee South Africa (OC) met today at SAFA House and expressed its satisfaction that the overall preparations for the 2010 FIFA World Cup and the FIFA Confederations Cup 2009 remain on track.

At the meeting, attended by FIFA General Secretary Jerome Valcke, the Board was given an update on the status of the preparations for the upcoming Preliminary Draw for the 2010 FIFA World Cup, which will be held at the Inkosi Albert Luthuli International Convention Centre in Durban on November 25.

The members expressed their confidence that the Preliminary Draw will be a great success which will showcase South Africa’s capabilities to stage major events.

“We had a very good meeting. 95% of the Preliminary Draw is finalised and organised.

46 of the 53 European FIFA Member Associations are coming to Durban, so there will be good exposure in Europe for the draw.

The show proposed is maybe the highest level ever seen for a Preliminary Draw,” said Valcke.

About 3000 local and international guests are expected to attend the Draw, which is the first global FIFA World Cup event on South African soil.

The board was pleased by both the operational as well as the entertainment concepts for the Preliminary Draw TV Show and with all other events taking place in Durban during the week of the draw.

In addition, the Organising Committee’s Technical Team (OCTT) presented a status summary on the construction of the 10 World Cup stadiums.

Generally, good progress is being made and the OC is confident the 2010 FIFA World Cup™ construction deadlines will be met. All deadlines are currently being carefully monitored by the OCTT to ensure they remain on schedule.

OC Chairman Dr Irvin Khoza said reports received after last week’s FIFA inspection tour of four of the nine 2010 host cities were “very positive” and that the tour again reinforced the good co-operation between FIFA and the OC.

“This last month has been a very active month for us at the Organising Committee, but also very rewarding.

We have had Franz Beckenbauer visiting us attending the Confederation of African Football’s 50th anniversary, as well as the German Chancellor Angela Merkel, an Italian trade delegation led by Deputy Prime Minister Massimo D’Alema and the FIFA inspection tour last week.

At the Board meeting the Organising Committee’s operational budget for the next financial year was approved.

There were also discussions on the official 2010 FIFA World Cup™ poster, which will be unveiled during the Preliminary Draw on November 25.

Furthermore, there were also proposals presented for the official slogan for the 2010 FIFA World Cup™, which is also expected to be announced during the Preliminary Draw.

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