On the day after the semi-final line-up was dramatically set at the Confederations Cup, South Africa took a deep breath and FIFA President Sepp Blatter revealed that US President Barack Obama may attend the opening ceremony of the World Cup next year.
According to reports, Obama, whose father was born in Kenya, said Blatter that he would be there if his schedule at the time allowed it. But Blatter said that "he has accepted our invitation."
In Washington, White House spokesman Robert Gibbs said Obama has accepted a meeting with Blatter, "but we have not yet altogether made plans."
But Gibbs, a one-time football player in college, quipped that a "small group of us have assembled in order to move the president" toward attending the World Cup in 2010.
"In the past, the World Cup has never been staged in Africa because people in the rest of the world did not trust Africa," Blatter said.
"I trust Africa and South Africa," he said emphatically. "It is time the world did the same thing. The world will see a fantastic spectacle in Africa in 2010. South Africa is going to make everyone proud of Africa."
Blatter also said it would commemorate the 2003 death of Cameroon midfielder Marc-Vivien Foe before the final of the tournament at Ellis Park on Sunday.
Foe, who collapsed on the field and died of an undiagnosed heart ailment in the Confederations Cup semi-finals, was 26. "When the teams are assembled before kick-off, we will have a brief message for the world about what happened," said Blatter.
The head of the world governing body of football said, FIFA had gone to great lengths to avoid such tragedies since, testing all players in their competitions for the same heart issue.
"One of the legacies of Marc-Vivien Foe's unfortunate death, and of having the World Cup in Africa, is that FIFA is providing medical care and aid where we possibly can," he said.
Blatter and FIFA's secretary General Jerome Valcke also discussed worries that the new stadiums being built for the event would sit empty after the World Cup.
"We've discussed this, and we'll work on it with the organisers post-World Cup," said Valcke. "We do not want white elephants, as is the case sometimes in cities chosen for the Olympics."
Blatter was optimistic, saying: "These modern stadiums have many uses. You can also have exhibitions, concerts, etc. It's a question of organisation."
A day after Brazil became the second team to claim to have possessions stolen from their hotel, along with Egypt, the organisers of the World Cup attempted to address concern over the safety for visitors at the event. Around 50 people are murdered each day and over 100,000 armed robberies are reported every year in South Africa.
According to reports, Obama, whose father was born in Kenya, said Blatter that he would be there if his schedule at the time allowed it. But Blatter said that "he has accepted our invitation."
In Washington, White House spokesman Robert Gibbs said Obama has accepted a meeting with Blatter, "but we have not yet altogether made plans."
But Gibbs, a one-time football player in college, quipped that a "small group of us have assembled in order to move the president" toward attending the World Cup in 2010.
"In the past, the World Cup has never been staged in Africa because people in the rest of the world did not trust Africa," Blatter said.
"I trust Africa and South Africa," he said emphatically. "It is time the world did the same thing. The world will see a fantastic spectacle in Africa in 2010. South Africa is going to make everyone proud of Africa."
Blatter also said it would commemorate the 2003 death of Cameroon midfielder Marc-Vivien Foe before the final of the tournament at Ellis Park on Sunday.
Foe, who collapsed on the field and died of an undiagnosed heart ailment in the Confederations Cup semi-finals, was 26. "When the teams are assembled before kick-off, we will have a brief message for the world about what happened," said Blatter.
The head of the world governing body of football said, FIFA had gone to great lengths to avoid such tragedies since, testing all players in their competitions for the same heart issue.
"One of the legacies of Marc-Vivien Foe's unfortunate death, and of having the World Cup in Africa, is that FIFA is providing medical care and aid where we possibly can," he said.
Blatter and FIFA's secretary General Jerome Valcke also discussed worries that the new stadiums being built for the event would sit empty after the World Cup.
"We've discussed this, and we'll work on it with the organisers post-World Cup," said Valcke. "We do not want white elephants, as is the case sometimes in cities chosen for the Olympics."
Blatter was optimistic, saying: "These modern stadiums have many uses. You can also have exhibitions, concerts, etc. It's a question of organisation."
A day after Brazil became the second team to claim to have possessions stolen from their hotel, along with Egypt, the organisers of the World Cup attempted to address concern over the safety for visitors at the event. Around 50 people are murdered each day and over 100,000 armed robberies are reported every year in South Africa.
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