Ramatsiyi Moholoa

Ramatsiyi Moholoa

A United States delegation will arrive in Johannesburg on Sunday for an inspection of the facilities ahead of the 2009 Confederations Cup.

This was announced by Danny Jordaan, the Local Organising Committee's chief executive, at the media launch of the event's volunteer programme yesterday.

Also present were Malose Kekana, chief executive of Umsobuvu Youth Fund and Mike Tsotetsi of the Tourism, Hospitality and Sport Education and Training Authority.

"The delegation from the United States came to look at the hotel and training facilities, most of the teams have already started making arrangements," said Jordaan.

"We are working on finalising the preparations for the Confederations Cup. We are starting first with the volunteers for the Confederations Cup and then 2010 World Cup.

"We need a high number of volunteers, 5000 for the Confederations Cup and 15000 for the World Cup. It will be a wonderful festival of football, a festival of champions.

"We as South Africans have to make the Confederations Cup a roaring success, tickets are going on sale on November 27 and we have to start buying them."

Jordaan also announced that volunteers will be paid a stipend by the LOC, in addition to the certificates and Adidas uniform they will be getting.

Seven of the eight countries expected to participate in the tournament have been decided. They are hosts South Africa, Italy, Egypt, Spain, Brazil, Iraq and America. Oceania will decide their champions later this month with New Zealand the hot favourites.

The recruitment of South African to serve as volunteers opened online yesterday at www.fifa.com/southafrica2009.

Onke Njo, the LOC's volunteer programme manager, said there were dedicated internet access points for the public in the tournament's host cities.

"We also have access at selected venues in other cities for people without internet access. We are recruiting people who are aged 18 and above."