South Africa ready for cup
Sepp Blatter says there is "no doubt" South Africa is ready to host the World Cup as Fifa begins the official 100-day countdown to the tournament.Blatter said in Durban that is is not so much that there's pessimism, but that it's always being thrown into doubt.
Fifa insisted 2.2 million of the 2.9 million World Cup tickets have already been sold despite reports of slow ticket sales.
South Africa is equipped to deal with around 450,000 foreign visitors, but Fifa accepts the actual number could be lower, with many fans overseas still recovering from the shock of the global recession.
Blatter spoke after a tour of South Africa's 10 stadiums that will host the month-long tournament. Construction is complete at all the stadiums, and only two are yet to host games to try out the new facilities.
South Africa has poured 33 billion rand into preparations for the tournament. Major upgrades to airports in Johannesburg, Cape Town and Bloemfontein are complete, while Durban's new airport is set to open on May 1.
The country is also trying to reassure fans about security in a nation with one of the highest crime rates in the world, averaging 50 murders each day. An extra 41,000 police have been recruited for the tournament.
