Ghana appears ready to opt out of the
race for the 2010 World Cup after FIFA president Sepp Bla-tter
put the boot into a five country bid involving Ghana, Nigeria,
Togo, Benin and Benin.
Ghana's Youth and Sports Minister Edward Kweku says the
comments by the FIFA president means it is impossible now
for the Nigerian proposal which Ghana has seriously backed
to succeed.
"I am shocked by what the FIFA boss said. Now it's not a
question of pulling out. It is impossible to go ahead with
it now from what the FIFA president is saying. Nigeria can
at it alone now but for us to be involved is impossible",
the Minister told local radio station JoyFM.
Blatter told the BBC that Nigeria's plan is not feasible.
"This idea of Nigeria (to stage the tournament with Cameroon,
Benin Republic, Togo and Ghana) is not feasible," Blatter
said.
"Even if there is to be a co-hosting, which would be in
exceptional circumstances, there will only be one organising
committee.
"But we will not consider this idea, as the other countries
(Cameroon, Ghana, Togo and Benin) are not candidates."
The chairman of Nigeria's bid to host the 2010 World Cup,
Segun Odegbami, has insisted that Nigeria will go ahead
with its proposal to stage world soccer's biggest event
despite comments by FIFA boss Sepp Blatter ruling out the
country's five-nation bid.
"I don't believe the report (crediting Blatter with saying
Nigeria will not be allowed to co-host the championship
with Ghana, Cameroon, Togo and Benin)," said Odegbami.
"It will be premature for any person to make such a statement
when we're yet to submit our proposal."
"I respect the FIFA president but it would not be fair to
condemn any country's bid when that country has not submitted
it."
Spokesman for the bid committee, Muyiwa Daniel, said they
are yet to be officially communicated on FIFA's position
as regards co-hosting, while also arguing that Nigeria is
still on course to staging the 2010 World Cup.
"Our bid is a Nigerian bid. We're not co-hosting with Ghana,
Cameroon, Togo and Benin. What we're doing is that Nigeria
will host the championship and could then decide that some
of the matches take place in Ghana, Cameroon, Togo or Benin."
The bid committee only recently signed a Memoran-dum of
Understanding (MOU) with Ghana, Togo and Benin in respect
of the hosting of the 2010 World Cup.
Daniel said Vice-president Atiku Abubakar will today inaugurate
two committees to assist the main bid committee.
