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Johannesburg – The FIFA World Cup has been a wonderful success story so far, organising committee chief executive officer Danny Jordaan said during an interview on 702 Talk Radio on Tuesday.
"We are very happy we have delivered 50% of the matches and we are now moving to a stage where teams will start going back home," he said.
Some of the successes Jordaan pointed out included matches starting on time, games being broadcast to about 100 territories world-wide as required, a vibrant atmosphere on the streets and stadiums being filled to capacity. He was "sitting comfortably" because the transport system to the games was satisfactory.
Asked about the empty seats during matches, Jordaan attributed this to some fans having possibly been delayed at airports and park-and-ride facilities.
Part of the show
"Out of 32 matches, only four had no-shows. We have had no-shows at concerts and even at churches... Unfortunately no-shows are part of the shows."
He acknowledged that over-the-counter ticket sales should have been introduced earlier for South Africans, as, unlike developed countries, many people didn't have internet access.
Despite this, Jordaan said 50% of tickets were sold to South Africans and demand remained high.
Steering clear of speaking of a possible loss by Bafana Bafana against France in their final Group A match in Bloemfontein later on Tuesday, Jordaan said all nations participating in the World Cup were in a state of anxiety.
Fans are enjoying it
"Fans are enjoying it here and they want to be here for longer. We are keeping our fingers crossed for our team."
Jordaan said South Africa could possibly have the second highest attendance in World Cup history.
The organising committee was up to date with its financial management and, as a registered company, accounted for every penny to FIFA.
Jordaan said some $70 000 to $100 000 (about R750 000) would be left behind by the World Cup to develop football in South Africa. About R93bn was injected into the country's gross domestic product as a result of the tournament.
Increased profits
Many restaurants, especially in Sandton, Johannesburg, where prices were hiked ahead of the tournament, had reported up to 300% increase in profits.
Security, a major concern prior to the tournament, had not been an issue since the opening match on June 11.
"Circumstance leading to the police taking over the responsibility of stadiums (from a private security company) is not over security, but labour issues."
He said 32 matches had been delivered without security problems. A total of 42 were expected to be delivered in the same manner by the end of the week.
"We are very happy we have delivered 50% of the matches and we are now moving to a stage where teams will start going back home," he said.
Some of the successes Jordaan pointed out included matches starting on time, games being broadcast to about 100 territories world-wide as required, a vibrant atmosphere on the streets and stadiums being filled to capacity. He was "sitting comfortably" because the transport system to the games was satisfactory.
Asked about the empty seats during matches, Jordaan attributed this to some fans having possibly been delayed at airports and park-and-ride facilities.
Part of the show
"Out of 32 matches, only four had no-shows. We have had no-shows at concerts and even at churches... Unfortunately no-shows are part of the shows."
He acknowledged that over-the-counter ticket sales should have been introduced earlier for South Africans, as, unlike developed countries, many people didn't have internet access.
Despite this, Jordaan said 50% of tickets were sold to South Africans and demand remained high.
Steering clear of speaking of a possible loss by Bafana Bafana against France in their final Group A match in Bloemfontein later on Tuesday, Jordaan said all nations participating in the World Cup were in a state of anxiety.
Fans are enjoying it
"Fans are enjoying it here and they want to be here for longer. We are keeping our fingers crossed for our team."
Jordaan said South Africa could possibly have the second highest attendance in World Cup history.
The organising committee was up to date with its financial management and, as a registered company, accounted for every penny to FIFA.
Jordaan said some $70 000 to $100 000 (about R750 000) would be left behind by the World Cup to develop football in South Africa. About R93bn was injected into the country's gross domestic product as a result of the tournament.
Increased profits
Many restaurants, especially in Sandton, Johannesburg, where prices were hiked ahead of the tournament, had reported up to 300% increase in profits.
Security, a major concern prior to the tournament, had not been an issue since the opening match on June 11.
"Circumstance leading to the police taking over the responsibility of stadiums (from a private security company) is not over security, but labour issues."
He said 32 matches had been delivered without security problems. A total of 42 were expected to be delivered in the same manner by the end of the week.
