ACCRA, Mar 18 (SW) - Ghana would opt out of the race for the 2010 world cup after FIFA president Sepp Blatter 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 Nigeria 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."
Nigeria World Cup bid ?on course? despite FIFA opposition
LAGOS, March 18 (AFP) - Nigeria will go ahead with its bid to host the 2010 World Cup despite oppositon by FIFA boss Sepp Blatter that a five-nation bid as proposed by Nigeria is not feasible.
"I respect the FIFA President but it would be premature for any one to condemn any country?s bid when such a bid has not been submitted," said Segun Odegbami, head of Nigeria?s World Cup bid.
"We have in the last few weeks been toying with ideas of how best to stage the World Cup and one of the ways has been to make contact with our west African neigbours."
Nigeria have been working on co-hosting the World Cup with four of their neigbours and only recently the bid committee signed an agreement with Ghana, Togo and Benin in this regard.
"We?re yet to receive any official notification from FIFA on this and will go on with our efforts to stage the competition," Odegbami said.
However, Blatter has been quoted as saying that a five-nation bid is not feasible after the difficulty of the hosting of the championship by Japan and Korea last year.
Public opinion has been against a bid by Nigeria to host the World Cup and many Nigerians have hailed Blatter?s position on Nigeria?s proposal.
"FIFA have done the right thing by telling us such an arrangement is a big joke," said Paul Bassey, publisher of a local daily sports newspaper.
"We would have embraced the idea to host the World Cup were we to go it alone."
Nigeria is one of six countries in the race to stage the World cup for the very first time in Africa.
The other countries are South Africa, Morocco, Egypt, Tunisia and Libya.
ACCRA, Mar 18 (SW) - Ghana would opt out of the race for the 2010 world cup after FIFA president Sepp Blatter 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 Nigeria 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."
Nigeria World Cup bid ?on course? despite FIFA opposition
LAGOS, March 18 (AFP) - Nigeria will go ahead with its bid to host the 2010 World Cup despite oppositon by FIFA boss Sepp Blatter that a five-nation bid as proposed by Nigeria is not feasible.
"I respect the FIFA President but it would be premature for any one to condemn any country?s bid when such a bid has not been submitted," said Segun Odegbami, head of Nigeria?s World Cup bid.
"We have in the last few weeks been toying with ideas of how best to stage the World Cup and one of the ways has been to make contact with our west African neigbours."
Nigeria have been working on co-hosting the World Cup with four of their neigbours and only recently the bid committee signed an agreement with Ghana, Togo and Benin in this regard.
"We?re yet to receive any official notification from FIFA on this and will go on with our efforts to stage the competition," Odegbami said.
However, Blatter has been quoted as saying that a five-nation bid is not feasible after the difficulty of the hosting of the championship by Japan and Korea last year.
Public opinion has been against a bid by Nigeria to host the World Cup and many Nigerians have hailed Blatter?s position on Nigeria?s proposal.
"FIFA have done the right thing by telling us such an arrangement is a big joke," said Paul Bassey, publisher of a local daily sports newspaper.
"We would have embraced the idea to host the World Cup were we to go it alone."
Nigeria is one of six countries in the race to stage the World cup for the very first time in Africa.
The other countries are South Africa, Morocco, Egypt, Tunisia and Libya.
