November 23, 2005
By Lucky Sindane
WOZA 2010 Soccer World Cup. Johannesburg is set to increase its sporting capacity with the construction of new headquarters for the South African Football Association (Safa).
A sod-turning ceremony was held this week at the FNB Stadium in Nasrec, with President Thabo Mbeki and Federation of International Football Associations (Fifa) president Sepp Blatter.
Turning the first sod for the new Safa headquarters at Soccer City: President Thabo Mbeki and Fifa president Sepp Blatter
(ŠPic: Chris Ricco/backpagepix)
The building, with its distinctive football-shaped dome, will be the headquarters of Fifa and the Local Organising Committee during the 2010 Soccer World Cup. Fifa has set aside about R60-million for the construction of the state-of-the-art facilities.
"I am pleased to see we are moving on this matter. Soccer is central to the people of this country," Mbeki said at the ceremony.
Blatter added, "It is a great honour and pleasure to be part of this day in South African soccer history ... I am delighted that President Mbeki has taken time out of his busy schedule to be part of this event. It shows how much the government cares about soccer in this country."
The complex, which will be located on the eastern side of Soccer City, will be the headquarters of Safa and the Premier Soccer League. It will also host the Safa Academy, an elite training facility to groom referees, coaches and administrators.
About 100 offices in the facility will be available for Fifa and the Local Organising Committee for the 2010 event. The building will be dominated by a football-shaped domed roof that will be clearly visible from the air and that looks set to become a new city landmark.
Construction is expected to begin in January and work should be completed by the end of August next year. "We foresee the completion of this project by the end of August 2006 and Fifa and the Local Organising Committee moving in by 1 October," said Safa president Molefi Oliphant.
"This is highly symbolic, since it will also be the first time that a Fifa World Cup will be played in a stadium owned by a football association."
Thanking the South African government for its "unflinching commitment to the cause of this Fifa World Cup", Local Organising Committee chief executive Danny Jordaan said, "We look forward to working in the environment that will be provided by the new complex."
At present Safa's offices are at Soccer City, while the offices of the Local Organising Committee are based in Hyde Park.
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