Soccer
Mbalula: No AFCON crisis
2012-04-13 16:30
Fikile Mbalula (Gallo Images)
|
Johannesburg - The
local organising committee (LOC) and the government remained confident on
Friday that their favoured eight cities would agree to host the 2013 Africa Cup
of Nations.
No
cities had officially withdrawn bids to host matches during the tournament, LOC
chief executive Mvuzo Mbebe told reporters in Johannesburg.
"Most
of the cities say they are waiting for the national government, but otherwise
they are happy to sign [the hosting agreement]," Mbebe said.
Media
reports suggested Cape Town and Johannesburg had considered withdrawing bids to
host matches during the continental tournament, due to financial constraints.
Mbebe said
Cape Town was among potential hosts not yet willing to sign the hosting
agreement.
"They
have raised concerns, but we are dealing with those issues with the City of
Cape Town."
The
government had not raised a red flag, according to Sports Minister Fikile
Mbalula, despite the resistance from Cape Town, which offered the Cape Town
Stadium, a 2010 World Cup venue.
"It
is not a crisis if a certain city looks at its budget and does not agree with
what the LOC has put before them," Mbalula said.
"It
is just that some people are overzealous in making comments in the media."
Details
of the hosting agreement, including the budget, would be revealed once they had
been through government channels.
"We
are making progress, but the matter must go through the Cabinet
system," Mbalula said.
Mbebe said
hosts cities would cater for as many as four teams each, offering potentially
lucrative financial gain.
"There
will be fans going to those cities and there will be an economic boost,"
he said.
No
further comments would be made on the tournament preparations, Mbalula
said, until the government had followed due process.