[sidspaceman]

In just over two years time, FIFA president Sepp Blatter is due to announce the hosts for the 2010 FIFA World Cup™ finals, the first to be staged in Africa - but the race to win the bid has not even started yet.

Today's situation contrasts sharply with how things were at the same stage in the bidding process for the 2006 finals.

Then, all the candidates were known, and fully-staffed bidding committees from Brazil, England, Germany, Morocco and South Africa had been in full swing for several years before the Germans won by a single vote over South Africa in a dramatic decision by the FIFA executive committee in Zurich in the summer of 2000.

http://www.fifa.com/Service/MR_A/44841_E.html

[Sachin]

Interesting article.

However, many questions still remain, not least this one: As the 2010 World Cup is the first to be allocated in advance to one confederation, how will the mechanics of the bidding process work?

Will CAF, the African Confederation, chose its own candidate and submit one name to the FIFA Executive - or will it submit three or four names and let FIFA decide the host?

Anyone have any idea of CAF plans to proceed?

Sachin

[sidspaceman]

The World Cup in 2010 is due to be hosted by an African country as FIFA, for the first time, begins a new rotation policy among its six continental confederations.

So it would seem the rotating the World Cups by continets is a done deal. Should be intreasting to see who bids for the cup when Fifa invites bids for the 2010 finals.

[ursula]

Originally posted by Sachin
Interesting article.



Anyone have any idea of CAF plans to proceed?

Sachin

There have been no discussions on this yet as far as I can tell. Every so often I see an article about South Africa bidding but nothing substantial yet. Nothing from other countries like Morocco or Egypt, etc. What's happening now is that the bidding for the '06 African Nation's Cup is to be decided on the 24th of this month.

[SportBoy321]

I can't believe they are going through with their plan to rotate by continent. Dumb idea if you ask me. Oh well I guess if Africa has to get it I woud go with a Morocco-Egypt joint bid. I don't see how any African country can be able to host it by themselves South Africa included. At least not right now anyways maybe in the future places like Nigeria and Cameroon will be able to host by themselves.

[lanman]

Originally posted by SportBoy321
I can't believe they are going through with their plan to rotate by continent. Dumb idea if you ask me.

Agreed, what happens when it is CONMEBOL's turn, and no country can afford to host it, or even be part of a realistic joint hosting?

[sidspaceman]

The earliest CONMEBOl can host it is 2014 nobody knows what South American economies are going to look like than so why worry.

[guri]

http://www.uruguay2030.org/

[sidspaceman]

crazy

[lanman]

Originally posted by sidspaceman
The earliest CONMEBOl can host it is 2014 nobody knows what South American economies are going to look like than so why worry.

Given the current state of the South American economy, I would be shocked if a serious bid could be in place in time. It may be 8 or 9 years until bids are due, but I just can't see it happening.