Danny Jordaan, the former 2010 Fifa
World Cup chief executive, will now
play a special advisory role to the
2014 World Cup in Brazil.
Stadiums like the FNB Stadium, near
Soweto, were constructed before the
2010 World Cup and revamped for the
football extravaganza.
(Images: Ray Maota)
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Ray Maota
Danny Jordaan, the former 2010 Fifa World Cup chief executive, has been appointed as a special advisor to the 2014 event in Brazil.
The announcement was made during a meeting of the Fifa World Cup organising committee in Zurich, Switzerland at the end of March.
Jordaan also serves as a vice president of the South African Football Association (Safa) and was appointed to the 2014 team along with Alexy Sorokin, head of the 2018 World Cup in Russia.
According to Fifa, the complete Fifa executive committee is now – for the first time – part of the decision-making forum responsible for monitoring and organising the event.
Helping Brazil with his experience
Jordaan brings a wealth of experience to the Brazil Local Organising Committee (LOC) after serving in various Fifa committees including the 1998 World Cup in France, the 2002 World Cup in Korea/Japan and Germany in 2006.
“I am very proud and excited to have been asked to serve on this vital committee which supports the backbone of Fifa’s business model,” said Jordaan.
“The 2010 World Cup – which was acknowledged as the most successful ever – generated a massive US$4.2-billion (R33-billion). The projected target for Brazil is to grow that by 10%.”
He added that Fifa has already received a comprehensive briefing from the Brazilian LOC about all facets of its preparations. The main task of the committee that he will be advising will be to critically examine the South American country’s preparations for 2014, to ensure that there are no logistical obstacles in the way of this target being achieved.
Jordaan is currently serving in the Fifa Transparency and Compliance Committee, which deals with corporate governance in the world football controlling body.
“In 2010, we created the benchmark for how to host a great and successful event and future events will always be evaluated against what South Africa achieved,” said Jordaan.
Locally he also serves as the chairperson of Safa’s international and commercial bodies and is deputy chairperson of marketing for the Confederation of African Football (CAF) and the African Cup of Nations organising committee.
Fifa commits to South African football
In another development, it was announced on 18 April that South Africa’s 2010 Fifa World Cup Legacy Trust has now become fully operational.
According to Fifa, the Trust will support a wide range of public initiatives in the areas of football development, education, health and humanitarian activity, using the game as a tool in South Africa.
An investment of $58-million (R450-million) will be received by the Trust as part of Fifa’s promised $90-million (R700-million) from the hosting of the 2010 World Cup.
South Africa has already received $17-million (R140-million) as an advance for the preparations of the 2010 event and for the building of Safa House, the headquarters of the national body.
During the 2010 event, Safa also received $5-million (R40-million) for football development projects, and a further $9-million (R70-million) for investment in a fleet of buses and cars enabling the 52 regional structures of Safa to transport their teams.
Fifa secretary general Jérôme Valcke said of the Trust: “We are very pleased that the Trust is now fully operational. It is the first time in the history of the Fifa World Cup that such an initiative has been established and it required a complex administrative process, which is why it took us some time to set it up.”
Safa president Kirsten Nematandani also commented: “From today, we can look forward to the fruits of 2010 being enjoyed at grassroots level and within communities across South Africa.”
The Trust accounts will be administered by auditing firm Ernst and Young.
Preparations for 2014
At the organising committee’s meeting in Zurich, in Switzerland, Fifa president Joseph Blatter welcomed the new chairman of the 2014 Fifa World Cup Local Organising Committee, José Maria Marin, as well as the newly appointed Fifa executive committee member from Brazil, Marco Polo del Nero.
Blatter said: “After the re-confirmation received from President (of Brazil) Dilma Rousseff and her government on the fulfilment of all guarantees, we are confident that despite the many tasks still to be completed by all of us, Brazil will stage an exceptional Fifa World Cup in 2014.”
Fifa’s World Cup organising committee includes deputy chairperson Michel Platini, who is also a former French football player and manager and Issa Hayatou, the president of CAF.
Nicolás Leoz, deputy chairman of the organising committee, said: “We received today, for the first time, a very in-depth update on the status of preparations in all aspects, including the important sustainability strategy plan. This is vital as we have a responsibility that goes beyond the provision of the facilities for the event.
“We must ensure that we maximise the positive effects for the benefit of all Brazilians and also minimise the negative impact, especially on the environment.”
