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African Roundup South Africa set to make formal World Cup bidPosted: Tuesday October 29, 2002 11:07 AMJOHANNESBURG (Reuters) -- South Africa are expected to formally enter into the 2010 World Cup bid race on Thursday when the South African Football Association (SAFA) meets to endorse the country's plans to host their first finals in Africa. "It will be just a formality to make the decision to submit our bid," Danny Jordaan, who is heading up the South Africa World Cup 2010 campaign, told Reuters on Tuesday. "The SAFA executive committee must first give the go ahead and then we can begin. "We have received the letter that FIFA have sent to all African associations inviting them to bid and next week we'll be writing back to tell them of our expression of interest in the bid," he said. Last week, FIFA formally invited all 52 African countries to bid for the 2010 World Cup, which will be held in Africa under the new principle of rotation among the continental confederations. Jordaan said a formal launch of South Africa's campaign would only happen in the new year, once the identity of the rival candidates became clear. It is expected that Libya, Morocco and Nigeria will also express an intention to bid by the first FIFA deadline of December 31 but Jordaan said there could be other countries too. Under the FIFA timetable, interested associations need only submit an expression of intent by the end of the year, after which FIFA will send them a detailed list of requirements for aspirant World Cup hosts. Bidding countries then have until April 30 to formally confirm or withdraw their declaration of interest. "We can only decide on our strategy once we know the opposition and then we will work out our campaign. "But before the end of the year we intend seeing a few FIFA executive committee members to inform them of our desire and our capacity to host the World Cup," Jordaan said. The 24 FIFA executive committee members will decide in 2004 which country will host the 2010 World Cup. South Africa narrowly lost out to Germany in the bidding for the 2006 World Cup finals in a controversial vote among FIFA's leadership. "We have long been planning for this and have started our groundwork but the campaign proper won't be underway until January," Jordaan said. African digestSOUTH AFRICA -- Russian Viktor Bondarenko, the coach of South African premier league leaders Mamelodi Sundowns, resigned on Monday, anticipating a possible sacking after a second high profile defeat in a row. The former Soviet international quit just four months after taking over at the Pretoria club, who were the runners-up in last year's African Champions League. Bondarenko said he was resigning for the "future of Sundowns' future" after a 2-0 defeat by Orlando Pirates in the league on Sunday and a 3-1 home defeat by Ajax Cape Town in the League Cup seven days earlier. Sundowns have been through three coaches this year. Bondarenko is the fourth coach of a South African premier league side to lose his job in the last month. ---- DR CONGO -- Two Cup titles were settled in the Democratic Republic of Congo on Sunday with US Kenya winning the Congo Cup and Daring Club Motema Pembe wining the League Cup. Both sides have qualified to play in African club competition next year. US Kenya beat SM Sanga Balenda 2-1 in the Congo Cup final in Lubumbashi, coming from a goal down at half-time. They qualify to play in the African Cup Winners' Cup. DC Motema Pembe beat Inter 1-0 in Kinshasa in the League Cup with a 21st minute goal from Kayombo and qualify to play in next year's Confederation of African Football (CAF) Cup. Lubumbashi-based club FC St Eloi-Lupopo were crowned league champions last week. ---- CAMEROON -- Mount Cameroon FC Buea and Sable de Batie both reached the Cameroon Cup final for the first time at the weekend, winning their respective semi-final ties. Mount Cameroon won 2-1 away in Douala on Saturday at Unisport Bafang for a 5-2 aggregate win in their semifinal while Sable drew 1-1 with second division PMUC in Yaounde after taking the first leg 4-1 away. PMUC had previously eliminated Canon Yaounde and Cotonsport, the teams who finished first and second in the championship this month, in the earlier rounds. No date has yet been set for the final, Cameroonian Football Association officials said on Tuesday. ---- SEYCHELLES -- Former French international Dominique Bathenay says he is prepared to sign an extension to his contract as coach of the Seychelles but wants a better offer to continue in the post. Bathenay, who played for France at the 1978 World Cup finals, has been coach of the tiny island nation for the last six months and led the country to a victory at the start of their 2004 African Nations Cup qualifying campaign, when they beat Eritrea last month. Bathenay's six-month contract has now ended but he told Seychelles Nation newspaper at the weekend he would be prepared to continue in the job if given a better offer. "I am a professional coach and I need a better contract," he said. Seychelles have another four matches left in the Nations Cup qualifiers next year and also play in the Indian Ocean Games in Mauritius in August and September.
Copyright 2003 Reuters Limited. All rights reserved. |
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