Workers welcome Sepp Blatter and Irvin Khoza to the construction site at Soccer City (Photo: Enoch Lehung, City of Johannesburg)

RELATED LINKS: Fifa gives local group thumbs up WHILE challenges exist, Fifa is confident that stadiums will be completed on time and South Africa will be ready for the world cup. Read more Fifa 'impressed' by progress FIFA and the Local Organising Committee have held their second board meeting – and the soccer parent body is impressed by the progress in 2010 preparations. Read more Conference looks at 2010 benefits for small businesses A CONFERENCE, with the national government and the Local Organising Committee, will look at ways in which small, medium and micro enterprises can benefit from the 2010 soccer spectacular. Read more

'Only God will stop 2010 World Cup' Sepp Blatter is impressed by the progress made in Joburg for the 2010 Fifa World Cup™, and he sees no reason to doubt South Africa's ability to put on a spectacular show. June 19, 2007 By Lucky Sindane THE 2010 Fifa World Cup™ will be staged in South Africa and nothing will stop it besides God. The president of the international football governing body, Sepp Blatter, brushed aside doubts from some European countries about South Africa's capacity to host the soccer spectacular during a press briefing on Monday, 18 June at Soccer City Stadium. Sepp Blatter, Fifa President, with Irvin Khoza, Chairman of the Local Organising Committee and Amos Masondo, Joburg mayor inspecting progress with the reconstruction of Soccer City (Photo: Enoch Lehung, City of Johannesburg) Blatter arrived in Johannesburg on Monday morning to assess the progress of world cup preparations. "The great work done by the Local Organising Committee in preparation for the 2010 World Cup™ has created some jealousy around the world," Blatter said. "The [world cup] is a great event that will be staged here in South Africa and nowhere else." Johannesburg Executive Mayor Amos Masondo; the member of the mayoral committee for community development, Nandi Mayathula-Khoza; the chief executive officer of the Local Organising Committee, Danny Jordaan; the chairman of the committee, Irvin Khoza; and Issa Hayatou, the chairman of the 2010 Fifa World Cup™ Organising Committee, attended the briefing. Blatter attended the third meeting of the board of directors of the world cup organising committee and went on his first site inspection of Soccer City stadium. Speaking about the meeting and the site visit Blatter said, "[From] what I have seen and what I have heard today I can say that we are on track. I'm optimistic and so is the Local Organising Committee. Irvin Khoza, LOC Chairman, Sepp Blatter, Fifa President, Danny Jordaan, CEO of the LOC and Amos Masondo, Joburg mayor share a light moment during the media briefing (Photo: Enoch Lehung, City of Johannesburg) "I have no doubt that this is going to be a wonderful world cup." Masondo said people were looking forward to 2010 with great excitement. "We have identified a number of legacy projects in the city which will leave a lasting legacy for the people of Johannesburg long after the 2010 Fifa World Cup™." Blatter is expected to open the Business Opportunities Conference on Tuesday, 19 June at Emperors Palace in Ekurhuleni. He will then fly to Cape Town for a meeting with President Thabo Mbeki and a site tour of Green Point Stadium. Permission to use web site material Publishers may use material from this site free of charge, as long as: Credit is given to either the "City of Johannesburg website (www.joburg.org.za)" or to "Johannesburg News Agency (www.joburg.org.za)"; If the article is used online, a link is provided to the original article on this website; The name of the article's author is acknowledged; The webmaster is informed of how and where the material is used (fill in this brief online form). Johannesburg News Agency is operated by BIG Media at 011-484-1400 Print this Page E-mail this article to a friend Help using Joburg.org.za