South Africa will be hosting the 2010 FIFA Soccer World Cup, the First World Cup to be held in Africa.
With the 1000 days countdown to the 2010 soccer world cup just past and the 2010 Soccer World Cup Preliminary Draw around the corner, the reality of the magnitude of this world wide event is sinking in as the people of Durban and South Africa gear up to show their city and their country to the rest of the world.
Durban, Host City of the First Official 2010 Event
Also known as “South Africa’s Playground” or “Surf City”, Durban, a resort city of 3,5 million on the east coast of South Africa, will host the first official event leading up to the 2010 Fifa World Cup, the preliminary draw for the qualifying tournament, on 25 November 2007.
This draw, which determines the qualifying groups for the 2010 World Cup, will be held at Durban’s International Convention Center.
A record 204 out of Fifa's 208 member countries have entered the qualifying tournament. Only the Philippines, Bhutan, Brunei and Laos will miss out.
The previous record entry was established in qualifying for the 2006 World Cup in Germany, with 194 of Fifa's 198 members at the time participating.
First World Cup
The World Cup has certainly grown since it first took place in 1930 when it was hosted by Uruguay and included only 13 countries.
The numbers quickly grew as soccer became more popular and qualifying for the World Cup first took place in 1933, when 27 teams entered the qualifying round.
Preparations for 2010 are on Schedule in Durban
Presenting Durban’s "2010 and Beyond" strategy earlier this year, the city's Head of Strategic Projects, Julie-May Ellingson said that Durban was well on track with its 2010 preparations. In fact, the construction on the iconic Moses Mabhida Stadium was ahead of schedule.
She said the city's holistic approach to the event would ensure progress around 2010 was not centered solely on stadium preparations but also on accommodation, transport, safety and inner-city beautification, including improvements to Warwick Junction and upgrades to the beachfront.
Some World Cup History
Three countries - the Republic of Ireland, Portugal, and Luxembourg - have taken part in qualifying for the previous 17 World Cup finals. Sweden and Switzerland qualified 16 times. They didn't need to qualify on the other occasions as Sweden hosted the finals in 1958 and Switzerland were hosts in 1954.
Iran's Ali Daei, who was recently in South Africa to take part in the "90 Minutes for Madiba" Fifa-sanctioned tribute match to former SA President Nelson Mandela, holds the record for the most goals scored in World Cup qualifiers, with 30 in 47 matches.
The 2010 World Cup draw in Durban
The draw in Durban will feature teams competing in the European, Asian, North American, Central American and Caribbean zones. Not included will be Oceania, South America and Africa, whose qualifying matches will already have started.
- In Europe, 53 teams will be competing for 13 places, while the South American confederation, Conmebol, will see 10 teams competing for four or five places; the exact number of sides will be determined after playoffs against a North American, Central American, or Caribbean nation.
- Concacaf, the confederation that includes North America, Central America, and the Caribbean, fields 35 teams, playing for three or four places, to be determined by a playoff against South America.
- In Asia, 43 nations will meet to try and win either four or five places at the 2010 World Cup. A playoff against Oceania will decide how many Asian teams make it to South Africa.
Fifty-three Africans teams are competing for five places. South Africa, as hosts, automatically qualify for the finals.
World Cup fever is running high in South Africa. Volunteers are already being signed up by the KwaZulu-Natal provincial Sports and Recreation department for the 2010 World Cup.
Official 2010 World Cup Slogan Revealed in Durban South Africa!
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