Football flashes

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By Yasmine El-Rashidi

Joint bid destined for rejection

FIFA President Sepp Blatter has said a joint bid by Libya and Tunisia to host the World Cup in 2010 will be rejected by world football's governing body.

"Co-hosting between Libya and Tunisia will not be accepted by the executive committee," Blatter announced to the press this week.

"When there are individual countries capable of organising the event we will not enter into a discussion which is against our statutes," Blatter said.

FIFA officials have repeatedly made it clear that the World Cup shared by Japan and South Korea in 2002 was a one-off event despite its success, because of the complex and costly logistics.

Tunisia had been hoping that hosting the African Nations Cup earlier this year would boost their chances of hosting the World Cup with Libya.

Blatter made no comment on the individual merits of each country as a potential host.

Television interest for the 2010 event is already growing according to Blatter, rebuffing criticism of the decision to award Africa the World Cup finals.

"This proves that it's not the place where a competition is played that provides the economic impact, but the competition itself and its inherent value," he said. "Which is excellent."

The rejection of the Tunisia- Libya bid leaves just South Africa, Morocco and Egypt in the running for the chance to host the first-ever World Cup on African soil.

Egypt praised by FIFA vice-president

FIFA vice-president Jack Warner has said he is "impressed" with Egypt ahead of the decision as to which African country will host the 2010 World Cup.

Warner, the president of the North American football federation Concacaf and FIFA executive board member, expressed his satisfaction with the facilities and the preparations Egypt has offered to host the 2010 World Cup.

"I am impressed with what I have seen and experienced over here," Warner told Al- Ahram. "Your country is more than qualified to host the World Cup."

Warner, who was head of the FIFA committee in Alexandria during the Under-17 World Cup tournament that was staged in Egypt in 1997, said he was thrilled with the progress he saw there.

Despite prodding, Warner refused to declare any official support for the Egyptian bid. He did, however, say that Egypt is one of three countries with good chances to host the prestigious competition.

"I believe the race will be limited to three bidders," he said

So far, Egypt, Libya, Morocco, South Africa and Tunisia are the five African countries bidding to host the 2010 World Cup. The FIFA executive board is expected to meet in Zurich on 15 May to name the winning country.

Mubarak meets with CAF and FIFA officials

In an attempt to draw support for the Egyptian 2010 World Cup bid, President Hosni Mubarak met last Sunday with Issa Hayatou, president of the Confederation of African Football (CAF) and deputy president of the FIFA. The meeting was also attended by Selim Alulu and Amadu Diakita, African members of the FIFA executive committee, Minister of Youth Alieddin Hilal, and Essam Abdel-Mon'em, chairman of the Egyptian Football Association.

At the start of the meeting Mubarak assured Hayatou that "Egypt is in the process of building new stadiums and renovating other ones in preparation for the African Cup of Nations 2006," -- scheduled to be held in Egypt.

As for the Egyptian bid to host the 2010 World Cup, Mubarak said: "We exert relentless efforts to host the 2010 mondial. Objectively speaking, I'd like the most qualified African country to host the showpiece event."

Mubarak discussed with Hayatou the current political issues in the African continent and the role sport, and especially football, can play in "making peace and uniting people".

On his part, Hayatou expressed his appreciation for Mubarak's constant support for the CAF.

Concerning the vote for the 2010 World Cup, Hayatou stressed that, "not one of the four African members of the FIFA executive committee have chosen the country he is going to vote for on 15 May in Zurich. Certainly, they will vote for the country most qualified for such big event."