Football: 2010 world cup shall be held in africa, FIFA chief

Joseph Blatter, President of the world football governing body (FIFA), announced Thursday that the 2010 World Cup will be held in Africa.

The holding of the 2010 World Cup will be entrusted to an African nation part of the rotation system enforced by FIFA, Blatter told the 25th general assembly of the African Football Confederation (CAF), held in Bamako prior to the kick off of the African Nations Cup (CAN-2002) on Saturday in Mali.

The World Cup, incepted in 1930, has so far been held alternately between Europe and the Americas, before entrusting the 2002 edition jointly to Japan and Korea.

Africa has never held the planetary competition, despite three attempts by Morocco to stage the Cup in 1994, 1998 and 2006. South Africa also failed to host the competition in 2006, entrusted to Germany.

Morocco and South Africa already announced intention to bid for hosting the 2010 edition.

Blatter assured that an African country shall stage the competition for the first time since 1930.