Africans in Cairo hail S. Africa for winning 2010 world cup bid

From Caesar Abagali, a GNA special correspondent, Cairo

Cairo May 15, GNA - People from various countries living in Cairo, Egypt on Saturday hailed South Africa for winning the bid to host the 2010 world cup, which some said was a victory for the whole of Africa. After the announcement, many people in the city, including journalists from various African countries undertaking a course at the Cairo University, expressed their gratitude that for the first time, an African country would host the world's biggest football tournament.

Mr Lucas Ledwaba, a South African Journalist, told GNA that because African footballers like Abedi Ayew Pele of Ghana, Mark Fish of South Africa, and J.J Okocha of Nigeria among others have contributed to the development of football in Europe and Africa hosting such a tournament in Africa could be in their honour. Ms Priscilla Sadien, also a journalist from Mauritius, said the victory of South Africa was a triumph for Africa and appealed to other African countries to support South Africa to make the tournament a success.

Mr Valere Dossou, a journalist from Benin, said he was glad because it was time for Africans to show the rest of the world that Africa too can host such an important event and that it was a test for Africans to demonstrate to the world whether African countries are united. Mr David Kiarie, a Kenyan Journalists, said hosting the worlcup in South Africa can open business and employment opportunities for the continent. However, some citizens of Egypt, expressed disappointment that Egypt lost the bid to South Africa but indicated that "all is not lost since the event has now come to Africa".