Johannesburg - It was the priceless stature of Nelson Mandela that won the country the right to host 2010 Soccer World Cup not bribery, The Star reported on Tuesday.
Soccer bosses Irvin Khoza and Danny Jordaan said winning the bid had nothing to do with the bribery scandal that has rocked FIFA.
"We didn't have any large funds. The only slush fund we had was Madiba," said Khoza, who was the head of SA's World Cup bid.
Allegations of bribery at FIFA reached shattering heights on Monday when a leaked e-mail from general secretary Jerome Valcke suggested that 2022 World cup hosts Qatar bought the right to host the tournament.
Soccer bosses Irvin Khoza and Danny Jordaan said winning the bid had nothing to do with the bribery scandal that has rocked FIFA.
"We didn't have any large funds. The only slush fund we had was Madiba," said Khoza, who was the head of SA's World Cup bid.
Allegations of bribery at FIFA reached shattering heights on Monday when a leaked e-mail from general secretary Jerome Valcke suggested that 2022 World cup hosts Qatar bought the right to host the tournament.