南非總統姆貝基稱，關於對他的國家沒有足夠財政以及後勤支援舉辦2010年世界盃的擔憂是毫無根據的。他表示，南非有足夠的能力按照國際足聯的要求來舉辦這個從未來到過非洲的賽事。“我們和國際足聯關於東道主職責有著詳盡深入的討論，當然也包括財務方面的保證。我們已經做過所有的預算，我們能夠達到國際足聯的要求。”
他還補充説：“你會驚訝現在在德國有多少南非人，他們付了機票，買票看比賽，住在賓館裏。到2010年，他們還是會很有錢的。”
鏈結: http://sports.yahoo.com/sow/news?slug=afp-fblwc2006wc2010germanysafric&prov=afp&type=lgns
原文:No financial worries about World Cup 2010, says Mbeki
AFP
July 8, 2006
BERLIN (AFP) - South African President Thabo Mbeki has said fears that his country was not financially or logistically equipped to host the football World Cup 2010 were unfounded.
Mbeki said South Africa was convinced it could fulfil all of FIFA's requirements for hosting the event, which has never been held in Africa before.
"We engaged in detailed discussion about what FIFA expected of the host country and that included matters of financial guarantees," he said after talks with German Chancellor Angela Merkel Saturday.
"So we have done all of the sums and all of the calculations and we are quite satisfied that we will be able to meet these obligations."
Concerns have been voiced about hosting the world's biggest sports event in a country battling with high crime and lacking in adequate transport infrastructure and hotels.
South Africa also needs to upgrade existing football stadiums and build new ones, as the sport lived in the shadow of rugby during the apartheid era.
The country is budgeting 5.5 billion rand (770 million dollars / 601 million euros) for stadiums and a further eight billion rand to upgrade airports and the public transport system.
Mbeki insisted that the "technical, logistical base for 2010 is quite strong" and said that this year's budget already contained provisions for the the World Cup.
He added that South African officials have spent months in Germany learning from the current World Cup and the German organisers have offered to come to South Africa to help plan the next one.
"Franz Beckenbauer and the others in the German organising committee have said that as soon as the tournament is over here they are ready to help us to prepare for 2010.
"The experience of hosting the cup here in Germany is critically important for us and in this context we will be able to solve problems. We have to draw a great deal from what has happened in this country."
Mbeki said it was not true that South Africans would not be able to attend the football championship in their own country because they are too poor.
"You will be surprised at the number of South Africans who are here now, who have paid the airfare, bought the tickets and are staying in hotels. They will have the money in 2010."
Mbeki is attending the final between Italy and France in Berlin on Sunday.
Asked whether Merkel offered him any personal advice on playing host, Mbeki responded: "We will meet at the match tomorrow and at the end of that perhaps I will ask the chancellor advice on how to carry defeat in the tournament."
Germany lost to Italy in the semi-finals while South Africa failed to qualify.
作者-北京第二外國語學院英語系王帥
責編：盧爽