JOHANNESBURG - Education will be the legacy of the first Soccer World Cup on African soil, says FIFA President Sepp Blatter. Education, this is the legacy not the infrastructure. Naturally you must be proud of the infrastructure in South Africa not only for the people but the football society. But the legacy is education, said Blatter at a briefing hosted by President Jacob Zuma over the weekend.
This followed President Zumas announcement that the government planned to host a 1Goal Education campaign on July 7 on the sidelines of the semi-finals in Cape Town. The World Cup officially kicks off on Friday.
Zuma, who agrees that education will be the most important spin-off of the month-long spectacle, said if the programme was implemented properly, it would enable 72 million African children who currently dont attend primary school to do so.
It will be one of the most lasting legacies of the 2010 World Cup and we urge all nations of the world and the private sector internationally to support this campaign, said Zuma.
Zuma saluted construction workers who worked tirelessly to ensure that stadiums were ready on time.
Blatter said as part of bringing the spectacle to African soil, R100 million US dollars had been set aside to help national associations as well as to hone and to keep talent on the continent by ensuring that players remain in their home countries.
Bringing the world cup to Africa, to South Africa is to trust South Africa, Africans and to say that youre strong you can do it, this is something also of a legacy of a continent that has been sidelined and still is sidelined but the World Cup cannot be sidelined. It is an achievement, concluded Blatter.
Post published in: News