Fifa boss Sepp Blatter unveiled the first 2010 Soccer World Cup-related construction project when plans to build plush multimillion-rand offices for the South African Football Association (Safa) were announced.
Construction of what will be known as Safa House gets underway in January next year in Nasrec, south of Johannesburg, and Fifa will foot the bill for a project that will cost of around R60m. One of the conditions that go along with winning the rights to host a World Cup is that the host association provides office space where Fifa can operate.
Danny Jordaan, the CEO of the 2010 Soccer World Cup local organising committee, said earlier this year that the upmarket Johannesburg northern suburb Sandton was envisaged as the possible Fifa headquarters during the showpiece and four sites were identified.
But the football governing body and Safa later felt that it would be more cost-effective to build a new building than to rent office space.
“In 1999, Fifa said all the associations had to have a house of football. Please start building and do it quickly because as from July 2006, the entire world will be focused on SA,” Blatter said.
The new Safa House will be built on the eastern side of the FNB stadium’s stands and yesterday’s announcement added further weight to the belief that Soccer City, will host the opening and closing ceremonies, as well as the final of the 2010 Soccer World Cup.
The stadium itself will undergo a R364m facelift as part of the preparations for the tournament.