The management of the FNB Stadium is having sleepless nights because it has not been able to start upgrading the venue for the 2010 FIFA World Cup. It is in the dark as to when the process will start, but the 2010 Local Organising Committee (LOC) believes there is nothing to worry about.

The venue is where the Opening and Closing ceremonies of the 2010 FIFA World Cup will be held. The stadium is expected to be upgraded with 99 more corporate boxes, a roof and improved lighting. The deadline for the construction was September last year, now officials hope to start in March.

Dennis Mumble, the manager of FNB Stadium, says their business plan calls for them to start using the stadium sometime in 2007 in order to give it a really good trial run before 2010 and to correct anything that may be faulty as far as 2010 is concerned. Mumble says timelines are tight that is why they have put March as the deadline to at least begin part of the upgrade.

However, the 2010 LOC says there is no need to panic. The spanner in the works is a decision whether 13 as stated in the Bid Book or a reduced number of venues will be used in 2010. Irvin Khoza, the chairperson of the 2010 LOC, says at this point in time, the issue of the FNB Stadium is not under discussion, but there is a commitment from government and the corporate world that money will be made available for the upgrade, but they cannot talk about upgrade until the data that have been canvassed from various cities has been submitted.

from SABC

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