South Africa has given Zambia the mandate to host four countries that will qualify for the 2010 World Cup.
Director-general of Zambia’s Local Organising Committee of the 2011 All-Africa Games (Coja), David Diangamo told the Parliamentary Committee on Sport, Youth and Child Affairs in Lusaka yesterday that South Africa believes that the giving of four slots to Zambia was the best way of helping the country benefit from the tournament.
He said the four countries would be staying in Zambia and would be flying to South Africa to play their respective games and return afterwards.
Diangamo said South Africa had also offered to purchase big televisions to be put at Lusaka’s Independence Stadium and other stadiums to enable fans that would not afford to travel to South Africa, enjoy the matches on television.
“I am happy to report to this house that South Africa has given four slots to Zambia to host countries that will qualify for the 2010 World Cup,” said Diangamo, who was in South Africa, attending the Supreme Sports Council for Sport in Africa meeting.
Diangamo said the onus was now on Zambia to speed up the rehabilitation of Independence Stadium and other stadiums.
He said Coja would do everything possible in ensuring that sports infrastructure were built and rehabilitated for not only the 2011 All-Africa Games but for the 2010 World Cup.