By Duncan Mackay in Johannesburg
November 30 – Sepp Blatter has praised the South African Football Association (SAFA) for its preparations for next year’s World Cup after meeting its new President, Kirsten Nematandani, here.
The FIFA President who is in the South African city to give a key-note address at Soccerex, which opens at the Sandton Convention Centre here today, before heading to Cape Town for the draw of the 2010 World Cup.
He said: ”The SAFA should be proud: it is one of the few associations to have the privilege of organising a World Cup, which is nothing less than the most important sporting event in the world.
“But it’s not just a privilege: it’s also an enormous task and a great responsibility.
“I wish to congratulate you for the high standard of organisation up until now and particularly at the Confederations Cup.
“You have to continue assuming your responsibilities and working hand-in-hand with the Organising Committee for the FIFA World Cup.”
Nematandani was elected controversially in September after the Premier Soccer League (PSL) chairman Irvin Khoza and Danny Jordaan, the chief executive of South Africa 2010, withdrew from the race.
But the PSL is now contesting the result of the election, a row threatening overshadow the build-up to the World Cup.
Jomo Sono, one of South Africa’s most popular ever players and now the owner of Jomo Cosmos, claims that the controversy is motivated by greed.
He said: ”This whole hullabaloo is about who will control the billions FIFA will drop in SAFA’s coffers after the World Cup.
“Make no mistake, it is just about money and not about who is good in leadership.
“We cannot have one leader and one group controlling the PSL and Safa.”