Vuvuzelas can't drown out din of Fifa's money making machine

by James Corrigan

Just before Italy walk out of the tunnel tomorrow evening to begin their defence of the World Cup trophy, the blimp will scan its lenses over the startling panorama which surrounds the Green Point Stadium. There’s Table Mountain, there’s Robben Island, there’s the Victoria and Albert Waterfront. What a picture, what a country, what a con.

By rights, the eye in the sky should be sweeping across the Athlone township, across the squalor and the grime, before it reaches the Athlone Stadium. This is the venue where the original South African winning bid said the Cape Town matches should be held, this is the venue which the local government on many occasions insisted would be the city’s primary venue. But Fifa didn’t agree. “A billion television viewers don’t want to see shacks and poverty on this scale,” said one of the organisation’s reports.

So instead of spending the 200 million rand (£18m) to make the necessary upgrades to the ground nestled in the football-obsessed environs, Fifa insisted the South Africans spend 4.5bn rand on a new stadium nestled in all the scenery. The vista would, of course, make it more palatable to all those billions who didn’t have a clue there were social problems in South Africa and hence make it easier to sell advertising for the games at the Green Point, including a semi-final. And while they were at it, Fifa could lob another 20,000 or so seats on the plans to ensure they receive more revenue. Everyone’s a winner. Well, everyone at Fifa, that is.

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