AHEAD 2014 WORLD CUP : BRAZIL PANICS OVER SOUTH AFRICA’S SUCCESS

By NBF News

Robinho
The success story of the South Africa 2010 World Cup appears to have started robbing off positively on the round leather game, with Brazil the next host of the soccer fiesta staged every four years stepping up her preparations well ahead of time.

The Brazilian authorities in an apparent bid to march the high standards set by the African rainbow nation have awarded airport contracts running into billions of dollars.

Chairman of the Brazil 2014 Local Organising Committee (LOC) Ricardo Teixeira, was quoted recently as saying that the country faced three problems in the run up to 2014 and the three problems were – 'airports, airports, airports.'

Determined to solve the airport problem, Brazil's president, Lula pledged 5.5billion reais ($3.1billion) to upgrade airports in the country's 12 host cities. Lula also eased restrictions on the ability of municipalities to borrow money and pay for local infrastructure. At the ceremony in Brasilla, Lula's government also revealed plans to donate real estate and 740 million reais to allow seven cities, including Rio de Janeiro, to overhaul their ports and allow for the docking of large cruise ships.

“Certainly it will be an alternative to the lack of hotels,” Pedro Brito, the ports minister was quoted as saying. Lula also played down concerns that Sao Paulo will not host World Cup games after a row over the reconstruction of the Morumbi Stadium threatened to see it miss out.

Lula blamed the Sao Paulo state government, which until April was run by the opposition presidential candidate, John Serra.

'Frankly, I can't imagine a World Cup in Brazil without Sao Paoulo as one of the corners for athletes to play ball,' Lula said. It would be noted that South Africa apart from building state of the art stadia had other modern facilities and infrastructure that made the recently concluded World Cup one of the best ever. Brazil being a developing nation is poised not to fail, especially with the mounting concern that the country may not be ready when the chips are down in 2014.