So there is no Plan B this time around?

Thuso Palai | Wednesday January 22, 2014 18:42

And to put it mildly, I’m not happy, especially at the way FIFA is mum on all this. Leading up to the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa, there was this talk of a Plan B in place in case South Africa failed to deliver on what FIFA had set them. 

The World Cup was to be held in Africa and there was a lot of uneasiness. Many doubted whether Africa, would host a successful World Cup. Up until a few months before the showpiece, there was this Plan B talk, and speculation that the Plan B was Australia. As it turned out, South Africa was ready well in time. We, ‘Africa’, hosted a successful World Cup. Everything that FIFA expected was on point and was delivered well on time. Despite the Plan B threats, South Africa, and indeed Africa delivered beyond expectation, making some eat humble pie. 

Fast Forward to 4 years. The showpiece will be held in Brazil and with less than 6 months to go before the event, Brazil is not half ready but there is no talk of a Plan B. And I wonder why? Brazil has had 7 years to prepare, way more time than any other host country so far. All the other countries in previous years have had 4 years from being awarded the hosting rights while Brazil actually had 7 years. And it baffles me as to why they are still not ready while they had all the time in the world, and still there is no Plan B like there was for the World Cup in Africa 4 years ago. 

While all this has been happening with stadiums falling apart roads and airports incomplete, FIFA has been mum. Well, Sepp Blatter said something a few weeks ago, but then retracted. And I wonder why? There are too many theories to this as to why FIFA has been mum. A few of them do make sense. The powerhouse that is Brazil has made FIFA quite. 

The Brazil; President and Minister of Sports have also been on the front foot, attacking all those who cast doubts on the preparations. I remember one great quote attributed to the Brazil Sports Minister saying that, ‘all the weddings that I have attended, the bridal party is always late, but the weddings are always a success’. Something along those lines. Really, now? How does he compare the world’s greatest sporting showpiece to a wedding? 

On the other hand FIFA President Blatter and Secretary General Jerome Valcke have made contradicting statements, which they later retracted or denied. It seems like they are under some sort of pressure, when they should in fact be putting pressure on Brazil to deliver what was agreed on. I was in Brazil a couple of months ago and I took time to visit one stadium and it looked like one construction site. In fact the airport, the stadiums and the roads are just one big construction site, and I wonder if they will be ready on time. Brazil was supposed to have delivered all stadiums atleast 6 months before the finals and so far, not half of them are 100 % complete. What baffles me the most is that FIFA seems least worried, whilst in 2010 they were all over RSA and putting pressure from left, right and centre. What has changed? Why not do the same with Brazil? I talked to one Brazilian and asked as to why FIFA is not saying anything while the country seems not ready, and he said ‘Brazil has money, so they can’t say anything untoward’. That got me thinking.  

Out of the 12 World Cup Stadia, only 6 were ready on time as per FIFA deadlines. . The roads are still under construction, Hotels still under construction and the Airports, in Sao Paulo and one of the host cities Brasilia are still construction sites. There are strikes all over the country and deaths have been reported as some stadiua fell on the construction workers. 

I always frown on double standards, and I must say the double standards that FIFA are applying here are really not on. They should be all over Brazil just like they were with South Africa.  One might ask why I am worried since I’m not South African. Well; I’m concerned by the FIFA double standards, and the fact that on another matter, on another day, we might find ourselves victims of such. If FIFA were fair and treated everybody as equals, then they would be all over Brazil like a bad rash, like they did with South Africa. And wait for it; there are many other cases where FIFA applies double standards and we should not just watch when it happens, as it might be us in the future.