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SA favourites for World Cup 2006

South Africa were installed as firm favourites to win the race for the 2006 World Soccer Cup. However, Germany is making a strong challenge, and could muster the 13 votes necessary to oust South Africa. Germany's major strength lies in its economic muscle, which has been exerted to considerable influence during the last few days.

This includes several trade offers, according to sources closely connected with the bid. South Africa's major strength lies in the argument that Europe has hosted the World Soccer Cup nine times in less than a century, while Africa has yet to stage the world's premier sports event. South Africa has also been recommended by the technical committee as one of only two countries in the top category in terms of facilities and organisation.

The other country is, of course, Germany. South Africa has relied largely on joining hands with South and North America, and recently made a deal with Brazil, one of the other competing countries. Brazil has agreed to withdraw from the bid in return for South Africa's support for the 2010 World Cup. This deal has angered the Germans, but they themselves claim they had a deal with England, to allow England to host the 1996 European championships, and support Germany for the 2006 World Cup. That plan, however, fizzled out.

The final outcome could hinge on an extremely close vote. If South Africa musters 12 of the 24 executive members, it is almost certain that it can win. It needs to be remembered that Sepp Blatter was elected president of FIFA on a pro-African platform, and is therefore likely to cast his vote for South Africa.

The final decision will be announced to a packed house of over 600 journalists in Zurich at 2pm local time, i.e. 1200 GMT.

Crucial to the outcome are four Asian delegates from Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Thailand and South Korea. South Africa needs at least one, probably two of these four votes, and the Qatari delegate has already told Live Africa Network News that he will be voting for Germany. This was after a deal struck between the Germans and Qatari leadership.

External Links:

• Germans worry South Africa By Mihir Bose
  
• Bidding leaves sour taste, by Henry Winter
  
• How the bidders pitched it. An in-depth look at each of the four players.
  
• Germany and South Africa go to the wire