2010 Local Organising Committee (LOC) chief executive officer, Danny Jordan, has said that South Africans are eager to have Nigeria as one of the five participating countries that would emerge from the continent for the FIFA World Cup.
Jordan, who was speaking to journalists on the extent of preparations by South Africa, however, warned that the national team still needed to work extra hard to earn the ticket having failed to qualify for the last edition in Germany 2006.
Nigeria would playTunisia, Mozambique and Kenya for the group ticket at the resumption of the World Cup qualifiers next month.
"We saw your team at the Beijing Games, how they picked the silver media behind Argentina. We all know that your country is blessed with talented players, so if we have Nigeria that is highly rated, it would be a good one for Africa," he said.
On the forthcoming FIFA Confederations Cup in June, Jordan explained that the four stadia that would host the matches were ready.
"They are Bloemfiten, Ellis Park, Loftus Versfield and Rusteburg near Sun-city. These are the stadia that would be used for the tournament that the whole world would know if South Africa is indeed ready to host the world next year," said Jordan.
Jordan was reacting to the insinuations that South Africa is not competent to host the world’s most glamorous sporting event.
"South Africa deserves the right to host the World Cup that is why the plan B options are not necessary. Should FIFA withdraw the rights they do not know that they will be taking it away from Nelson Mandela, Archbishop Desmond Tutu and former President, Thabo Mbeki," he said.