Africa expects continental team to win World Cup
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It would be "a dream come true" for an African nation in 2010 to win the FIFA World Cup for the first time, Confederation of African Football (CAF) President Issa Hayatou said here on Monday.
When South Africa hosts the FIFA World Cup from June 11 to July 11, it will be the first time in FIFA's 106-year history that the tournament is held in Africa.
In addition, since the Federation Internationale de Football Association (FIFA), the International Federation of Association Football, was founded in Paris in 1904, no African country has won the World Cup.
Hayatou was in South Africa to receive an award, the Order of the Companions of Oliver Tambo (gold) from South African President Jacob Zuma at a ceremony.
The South African government's BUA news agency reported on Monday that national orders are the highest honor awarded in South Africa to outstanding individuals in the field of sport, arts, science and technology as well as individuals' general contribution to a free South Africa.
The ceremony will coincide with the country celebrating 16 years of freedom and democracy. South Africa held its first democratic elections on April 27, 1994.
At a media briefing in Johannesburg on Monday, Hayatou said the award was an honor for him as it signified the recognition of the African continent's beautiful game.
"It's an honor I cannot even begin to describe. how I wish we can take Tuesday's celebration to the field and see one of the African countries reach the finals of the tournament," he said.
Danny Jordaan, South African chief executive of FIFA's 2010 local organizing committee, described the South African government 's decision to bestow the Order of OR to Hayatou as recognition of the role football plays in the development of the continent.
"Football is hope no matter how you look at it, you can ask the poorest of our people in this country about how they feel about the World Cup coming to South Africa. The answer will be one of happiness."
Six of the 32 teams competing in this year's World Cup are from the African continent. They are Algeria, Cameroon, Cote d'Ivoire, Ghana, Nigeria and hosts South Africa.
The rest are made up of teams from America, Europe and Asia.
"The performance of the African teams in this World Cup will be key to an argument for more African teams to be included in the future," Jordaan said.
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