Fifa gives SA an end-of-year bonus

South Africa was given a R685-million bonus by Fifa yesterday for hosting the 2010 Soccer World Cup.

"We trusted South Africa and that trust was well-founded," Fifa president Sepp Blatter said in launching the 2010 Fifa Legacy Trust at FNB Stadium, Soweto.

"Fifa is not a circus where we pitch our tents and remove them when the event is over. Fifa will leave a lasting legacy for the youth of South Africa thanks to this successful World Cup," he said.

"Education and development plus healthcare will be in South Africa thanks to the World Cup and this trust."

Blatter said R137-million of the bonus had already been used to build Safa House, next to the stadium, before the World Cup.

Accepting the remainder of the bonus, President Jacob Zuma said the tournament had reaffirmed a common South African and African identity and had boosted the economy. South Africans could look back on it with pride.

"We wanted a World Cup that would contribute to social cohesion and national pride, that would enhance African solidarity and improve the country's global reputation. Our expectations were exceeded," Zuma said.

The World Cup had underlined the need for investment in football development to build world-class teams.

"To achieve this, we want to see greater emphasis on the revival of school sports from next year," said Zuma.

"Also important is [that] we have committed ourselves to ensuring the provision of sports facilities in the poorer communities as part of rural development."

Zuma said that South Africa, being a developing country, had wanted the tournament to be about more than just soccer.

"We wanted Africa's first World Cup to be a continental showpiece that was owned by all Africans, and we want it to leave a developmental legacy."

Now that South Africa had achieved its goal of hosting the tournament, there remained the difficult but important task of ensuring a lasting legacy in soccer and social development.

Blatter described the bonus as a reward to South Africa for being a great host.

"We have always said that the first Fifa World Cup on African soil should leave a lasting sports and social legacy once the tournament is over," he said.

"I am proud, but more happy than proud after this first World Cup in South Africa. I had confidence and now South Africa has shown the world it was up to hosting the World Cup."

He said South Africa had broken new ground for future World Cups.

"We are taking the World Cup to Russia in 2018 and in 2022 to Qatar. Neither country has hosted a World Cup event.

"South Africa showed the way to go. It was not easy bringing the World Cup here, but we succeeded and look forward to breaking new ground in Russia and Qatar," Blatter said.