16/05/2008 10:18

Sun City - Former three times winner of the African Player of the Year award and Ghana superstar Abedi Pele said on Thursday that an African country would win the 2010 World Cup.

Pele who is a 2010 World Cup ambassador is also confident that South Africa would host a memorable finals - the first to be staged in Africa.

Speaking at the anniversary banquet at the Sun City Convention Centre to celebrate the fourth anniversary of South Africa winning the bid to stage the greatest soccer event on the planet Pele said Africa were in a unique position in 2010.

Said Pele: "With South Africa qualifying as hosts, Africa will have six sides in the finals.

Looking at history, most winners with the exception of Brazil have come from the continent where the finals are staged."Pele who was named as African Played of the Year in 1991, 92 and 93 said that a lot would depend on which sides qualified.

But he added: "There are a number of contenders such as Cameroon, Ivory Coast, Egypt, Ghana and even Angola are all respectable sides and on their day can beat the best. I honestly think this will definitely be Africa's turn.

There will be fantastic support for African sides in South Africa and with that type of momentum, my money is on a team from this continent to become the first African country to win the biggest prize in world soccer. "Pele also stressed he was impressed by the work on new stadiums and infra-structure in the country.

He said: "It will be all systems go in June 2010 for the best World Cup in history".