BEIJING, Aug 21: Preparations and stadium construction for the 2010 World Cup in South Africa are on schedule, FIFA and local organisers said on Thursday.

“If we are saying that the World Cup will take place in South Africa it is because the World Cup will take place in South Africa,” FIFA General Secretary Jerome Valcke told a news conference.

“We, in FIFA, have been working since 2004 on South Africa, in South Africa, with South Africa to make sure that this World Cup will take place in South Africa,” he added.

South Africa’s first test will come with the Confederation Cup in June, an eight-team competition a year ahead of the World Cup.

Danny Jordaan, CEO of the South African organising committee, said venue building was running on time.

“In terms of the stadium construction programme, our deadline for the Confederation Cup venues is December 2008 – those stadiums are there and they are dealing with upgrades,” Jordaan said.

“For the rest of the stadiums, the completion date is October 2009. Eighty percent of those stadiums will be completed by July 2009.

“In terms of stadium readiness, we can say here, that will be ready by the end of 2009. All the stadiums will be complete for kick off,” he added.

Valcke said FIFA President Sepp Blatter’s recent comments about a ‘Plan-B’, an alternative host for the event should, for any reason, South Africa not be in a position to hold the event, referred to standard practice.

“It is true we at FIFA have talked about a Plan B meaning that when there is something happening in a country where we are not in control of the problem, when you have a natural catastrophe, when you have to move, when you have a disaster that is not in the control of FIFA or of South Africa, then you move the event to somewhere else,” he stated.

“The World Cup is such an important event for us, the most important event, it pays for the rest of all our events, we have to make sure that is a success and the 64 matches all take place,” he insisted.

“The World Cup will take place in South Africa but we have, as any normal or good company, an alternative if something is happening which is out of your control and that is why Mr Blatter talked about a ‘Plan-B’,” he said.

The World Cup will start on June 11, 2010 and feature 32 nations from all continents.—Reuters