South Africa 2010 Is FIFA�s Best World Cup In history

The just ended 2010 World Cup in South Africa has been adjudged FIFA�s best World Cup in shape, form and value; Danny Jordaan, CEO of the South Africa 2010 World Cup has disclosed. According to him, the World Cup raked a whopping $4.2 billion in proceeds to FIFA, which was 53 per cent higher than the preceding World Cup held in Germany and which accumulated $2.6 billion to FIFA. Jordaan made the revelation at the 36th Sports Writers Association of Ghana (SWAG) Awards Night held in Accra on Saturday. The huge success of the 2010 World Cup, he said, has demystified the erroneous impression about the African continent - impressions which denied the continent the right to host the tournament - for hundred years. He said since 1904 when FIFA came into being, the African continent was denied the opportunity to host the World Cup largely because of perceptions that �there cannot be a viable and profitable World Cup in Africa.� To consider Africa an option, there were arguments that FIFA must accumulate �enough reserves because it will go bankrupt� after an African host. Some were expecting buses to be late, others were expecting flood lights to go off intermittently during games, Jordaan narrated, and yet after South Africa 2010, the chorus has been deafening ��2010 was the best ever World Cup.� �We will never have another World Cup like that,� he said, adding, �There will not be a World Cup where the host nation supports all teams even after it is eliminated from the group stage.� �We will never have another World Cup where Desmond Tutu will be dancing at the opening ceremony and Nelson Mandela making an appearance at the stadium. "There will not be another World Cup with the Octopus Paul supporting one team or the other," he intimated. Quoting from ex-South Africa President Thabo Mbeki, Mr Danny Jordaan said �the 2010 World Cup gave Africa its second liberation� and �made the world understand that we are equal.� He was rapturous in appreciation of the sterling performance of the Black Stars and for making Africa proud. �No wonder when the Bafana Bafana was eliminated the whole of South Africa became �Baghana Baghana,� he noted. He said Africa must assert itself in its endeavor and charged African leaders to take decisions and be ready to take responsibility for those decisions. The President of SWAG, Ackah Anthony in his speech paid glowing tributes to the South African Local Organising Committee headed by Danny Jordaan for a superb World Cup. He however bemoaned what he termed the instability in Ghana�s Sports Ministry which he said has hampered the smooth administration of the ministry. Even though the president has the prerogative to hire and fire ministers at will, the SWAG president said appointing four ministers of Sports in a spate of two years is not good enough and does not promote coordination. He appealed to the president to allow the current Minister Kofi Humado to stay his full length to ensure stability in the sector. He also charged Members of Parliament to ensure that the new Sports Bill is passed into law before the year ends. The Deputy Youth and Sports Minister Nii Nortey Dua who represented the substantive Minister expressed government�s unflinching commitment to sports development in the country. He said government has taken adequate steps to ensure that the ban by the International Olympic committee on Ghana is lifted. He was full of praise for the many sports personalities whose efforts hoisted the flag of Ghana in many ways in the year under review. The ceremony saw Black Stars and Sunderland striker Asamoah Gyan pick up the Sports Personality of the year, beating Richard Kingson and Joseph Agbeko to it as well as Footballer of the year Award beating Black Stars duo of Richard Kingson and Dede Ayew to it. Other Sports personalities were awarded for their heroics in the year under review.