Johannesburg, July 10 (DPA) The 2010 World Cup football has transformed international perceptions of South Africa and can be used as a platform for long-term growth, organizing committee chief executive Danny Jordaan said Saturday.
Speaking on the eve of the final between the Netherlands and Spain in Soccer City, Jordaan called on his compatriots to keep the momentum for change going after the tournament ends.
‘We have to ensure that our pride lasts longer than 90 minutes. We have to extend this feeling into other areas of life,’ the 58-year-old told a press conference at the Sandton Convention Centre in Johannesburg.
Jordaan urged that the profit organisers are expected to make from the World Cup, estimated at $80 to 100 million, be re-invested in the country’s footballing infrastructure.
He added, however, that the societal cohesion gained from hosting the tournament 16 years after South Africa’s first free elections was for more important than any financial gain.
