Risk-free World Cup

2004-05-14 17:51

Zurich - Morocco promised a "World Cup without risks" in its final presentation on Friday as it bids to win the right to host the 2010 World Cup, the first to be held on African soil.

Morocco was the first of four candidate nations to put their case to an audience which included the 24 members of world football governing body Fifa's Executive Committee who will choose the host nation in a vote on Saturday.

With Tunisia withdrawing on Friday after its bid to co-host with Libya was rejected by Fifa, Morocco is up against pre-vote favourites South Africa, outsiders Egypt and Libya, should the latter chose to continue in the race.

Having apparently closed the gap on South Africa, Morocco sought to underline its proximity to southern Europe and promised that the proceeds from the tournament would benefit African football for decades to come.

Without mentioning last year's bomb attacks in Casablanca, bid chief Saad Kettani played down security concerns, saying "Morocco does not joke with security. Security will be at its highest level."

"Hosting the 2010 World Cup finals would be a consecration of our status as a continent, as a juncture of continents," said Kettani.

"We are inviting the family of football to the land of football."

Stuffed with foreign officials

Morocco placed particular emphasis on the composition of its bid committee which is stuffed with foreign officials who have extensive experience of hosting previous World Cups, such as US lawyer Alan Rothenberg.

Kettani sought to link the promise of a high-security finals with the experienced team behind the bid when he said: "It will be an extraordinary celebration, I can assure you of that. It will be a World Cup without risks."

Morocco's trump card is its proposal to use some of the proceeds from the tournament to promote football on the African continent, especially among children and women.

The President of Senegal, Abdoulaye Wade, addressed the audience to lend his support to the bid and to the football development project, called 'Football Without Frontiers'.

"This generous project is aimed at youth in Africa," Wade said. "I am delighted to back the bid of Morocco."

Closing the presentation, Prince Moulay Rachid, brother of King Mohammed VI, read a message from the king urging Fifa to choose the nation which lost out by a single vote to the United States in the race for the 1994 finals.

"Morocco is offering you the key to a successful, trouble-free World Cup. Ours is a country which is proud of its age-old history and, at the same time, open to the world and determined to maintain a forward-looking vision."

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- AFP