Publications
Partners
Johannesburg - South Africans are become prouder and more confident of the country's hosting of the 2010 Soccer World Cup, a FIFA-commissioned survey has found.
They are also determined to enjoy the international football extravaganza irrespective of the performance of the national team, Bafana Bafana, FIFA said in a statement on Thursday.
In all, 94% of South Africans were proud the country is hosting the championship event, 89% were sure it would bring the country long-term-benefits and 83% were confident the country will pull it off, FIFA said.
These results showed a "pronounced upward trend" - of up to 10 percent in some instances - in people's anticipation of the tournament.
They also showed that people now had a deeper understanding of the benefits it could bring to the host nation.
"Given that this tournament is regarded by many as the 'championship of champions' and is a major international sporting event, the survey suggests that South Africa is more than ready to embrace world-class football and recognise the legacy such tournaments can leave behind," FIFA said.
The survey consisted of face-to-face interviews with 1 000 people in major cities and host cities in March.
It found that 92% of respondents, five percent more than in January, expected upgraded infrastructure, including public transport, roads and telecommunications as a result of the country's hosting of the event.
An improvement in South Africa's image abroad was expected by 90 percent of the people surveyed, seven percent up on the previous survey, with 96 percent, or five percent more, optimistic that it would boost tourism.
"South Africans are determined to enjoy the FIFA World Cup irrespective of Bafana Bafana's performance," said soccer's international controlling body.
The survey found that 86% of respondents' interest would be "unaffected by the performance of the national team".
On the downside, the survey noted "lingering doubts" with respondents concerned about crime (58%), congestion (58%) and inflated prices (59%).
