Sipho Mthembu

Sipho Mthembu

Duncan Revie, boss of world-renowned soccer exhibition Soccerex, has warned potential exhibitors that stalls for this year's exposition at the Sandton Convention Centre will be sold out in the next six weeks.

Gauteng, bidding on behalf of South Africa, beat Singapore, Qatar and Bahrain to host the 10-year-old spectacle already hosted at Wembley (1996-7), Paris (1998), Los Angeles (1999), Old Trafford in Manchester (2000) and Dubai (2001/06).

Being an epic expo, the smallest stand at the exhibition will cost around R22 000 (3x3 metres square) and the most expensive around R2,25 million.

"It is not a baked-beans exhibition," Revie quipped at an exclusive media briefing.

But the Soccerex chief was quick to point out that his company has offered Gauteng 10 stands for small to medium enterprises at the November show.

"We are still waiting for Gauteng officials to come back to us," he said.

Revie insists the expo will go a long way in raising the profile of the 2010 World Cup.

"Having 5000 soccer disciples from all over the globe in South Africa will do a lot of good. Like Peter Kenyon [chief executive of English Premiership club Chelsea] said, you touch the entire soccer world in two days," he said.

Revie also announced the captains of three soccer legend teams that will take part in the soccer festival. Lucas Radebe will captain the South African legends, while Brian Robson will lead Manchester United legends and John Barnes captains Liverpool.

"We have not yet decided who will captain a world select legends team.

"It will be a stunning success. We used the world's largest ski dome in Dubai but the Mandela Square will upstage it."

lTo view a video of the interview log on to www.sowetan.co.za