Image courtesy of Gulf News/EPAJohannesburg : With less that 22 weeks remaining before South Africa stages the 2010FIFA World Cup, the host nation is confident of solving problems around travel, safety and ticketing.
Today, it echoes to the sound of a few hundred construction workers putting the finishing touches to a cavernous stadium modelled on an African calabash cooking pot. But in weeks, the Soccer City stadium in Johannesburg will house 87,000 fans and buzz to the drone of the vuvuzela horns that will be the backing track of next summer's tournament.
Just 18 years after South Africa was readmitted to Fifa following the collapse of apartheid, their team, whose prospects are not viewed with much hope, will kick off the first World Cup on African soil.
The overall 800 million rands (Dh396 million) in capital investment from public funds has been sold as a stimulus that will boost the economy by 55.7 billion rands, create 415,400 new jobs and leave a legacy in everything from transport infrastructure to the strength of the domestic league.
Legacy
More broadly, Fifa also claims it will leave a footballing legacy for the whole continent, promising new pitches for every country and 20 new "Football for Hope" centres to house social projects.
Others may question whether the $9 million (Dh12.67 million) promised for the scheme amounts to much when placed alongside the projected $3.2 billion in sponsorship, marketing, TV and hospitality revenues the 2010 World Cup will deliver.
Today representatives from each of the 32 nations will attend a flag-raising ceremony in Johannesburg. Following the World Cup draw on December 4, the final scramble for tickets, flights and accommodation will begin.
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