Johannesburg, March 03: With 100 days to go before the World Cup, jackhammers shuddered and bulldozers rumbled as workers wearing “Proud to be building Soccer City for 2010” buttons readied South Africa’s main stadium.
Inside, the grass was smooth and inviting. But not far away stacks of pavement tiles waited to be laid, and parking lots and access roads were still to be tarred.
The site could well be a metaphor for the June 11-July 11 tournament: While most of the big pieces are in place, all the details haven’t been worked out.
Over the years, World Cup organizers have been repeatedly and sometimes sharply questioned about whether South Africa, a country with high rates of poverty and crime, was capable of hosting one of the planet’s biggest sporting events.
Now talk has gone from whether South Africa is equipped to host the World Cup to what kind of host it will be.
Visitors may have to make do with half-finished hotels at exorbitant rates, not to mention college dorms or even campground tents.
There are worries of traffic jams, as fans who can’t get hotel rooms in host cities head out after games to accommodation farther afield. South Africa’s public transit system is erratic at best.
And will those fans be safe?
Despite the uncertainties, the mood was celebratory and determined Tuesday at 100-days ceremonies across the country.
South Africans performed a dance based on soccer moves and sang the national anthem, stressing that hosting the tournament requires enthusiasm and national unity.
“As South Africans we have encountered a lot of skepticism but today, as we celebrate this milestone, we can confidently say to the world that we will be ready,” Danny Jordaan, head of the South African organizing committee, said in Durban.
Sepp Blatter, president of FIFA, said soccer’s global governing body has never questioned South Africa’s ability to organize the tournament.
“Everything is on track and ready,” said Blatter, who joined Jordaan in Durban, one of nine host cities. “The African continent will host the World Cup. So why don’t certain groups in the world want to believe it? It is so easy to just trust and have confidence.”
Half of the 10 stadiums where World Cup matches will be played are new, and Soccer City in Johannesburg underwent an overhaul so thorough it might as well be new. Other preparations included major roadwork across the country. Seven airports were renovated and an eighth was built.
Journalists on a tour of Soccer City last week found stadium seats in place, their orange plastic contrasting with the glistening grass. Goals were up and sprinklers were running.
-Agencies