LOC ready for Confed kick-off

Johannesburg, 10 Jun 2009

With only four days to go to the start of the Confederations Cup, the Local Organising Committee (LOC) has emphasised it is ready to host the event.

Speaking at a media briefing earlier this morning, CEO Danny Jordaan said Fifa handed over the Confederations Cup to president Jacob Zuma in Parliament yesterday - a sign that all networks, communications and IT infrastructure for the event is complete.

Jordaan expressed confidence in the communications infrastructure, which was rolled out by Telkom and the Department of Communications. He added that broadcast facilities, which would be housed at the IBCC, are also complete. The centre would be hosted at Coca-Cola Park, in Johannesburg, and would be run on Telkom`s network infrastructure.

Following media reports raising concerns about private security measures and the readiness of the LOC, Jordaan admitted the process had been challenging.

"It`s not a straight line, it`s a rollercoaster ride. Where we stand at the moment, we are very comfortable, but it can change - whether it`s a long strike or a dispute, and that is the reality of our country. These things happen."

The Fifa World Cup is only a year away, and the efficacy of the systems running at the Confederations Cup would give a strong indication of the success expected for 2010, he said.

"This is an African World Cup, it is world-class and there is absolutely no contradiction between being African and being the best in the world. For that, we want to show, not only the infrastructure, but in everything we do and everything we offered."

Jordaan emphasised that any security concerns were misplaced, saying security forces and the police services had employed technology to ensure the safety of visitors and soccer players.

He added that the police have demonstrated their preparedness for both events and they should run smoothly. The SAPS was allocated R665 million for the procurement of special technology for 2010.

While tickets for the event had not sold out, Jordaan said he was confident this would happen. He noted that the opening of the call centre and information kiosks had improved sales.

Only 85% of tickets for the opening match had been sold so far, he revealed, while expressing hope that the final match would be sold out soon. He added that ticketing processes had gone smoothly and Fifa was not responsible for any online ticketing woes.

"We are ready, but it`s only once people walk around the stadiums in SA that they will recognise that the infrastructure is among the best in the world," he said.