The 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa

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The 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa
Introduction
When South Africa won the lobby for hosting the 2010 FIFA world cup, news went viral about it and almost reached everyone in the world. It was a great moment of joy and celebrations especially in the African countries. This jubilant joy and pomp celebrations might have been because of the continent’s attempts in bidding to host this mega sport event without success. Many people around the world had their eyes fixed on South Africa, some questioning the ability of the country to host such a famous activity in the world’s calendar. Some people saw fun; others saw failure and the rest predicted the worst scenario of terrorist attack. These reactions on this event were based on South Africa’s economic ability to prepare adequately for the occasion. Similarly, terror attacks and other security challenges were highly suspected considering the weaknesses in the South Africa’s security system. On the contrary, some companies affiliated to FIFA like Coca cola, Adidas and the KIA Motors, among others, saw a business opportunity there. They sponsored the event, alongside FIFA and the South African government, by providing services the football funs who gathered there, local and international, needed (Collins 2009). This business report, therefore, exhumes the motives behind the sponsorship, expectations, challenges faced during the event and risks that were involved. Further, it analyses the cost-benefit ratio, displays results and recommendations upon which valuable lesions may be learnt.

Vision and strategy
The FIFA sponsors, just like any other sponsor, have visions that they would like to achieve at the end of the event. They might have had different visions on this mega project, but at least their mission was in line with that of FIFA and the government of South Africa (Grundling and Steynberg 2010). These visions include: * Unity around the world
The main of aim of FIFA is the fight against racism and fostering world unity through football. This particularly in line with what happened in South Africa nearly ten years ago during the racial segregation of Apartheid. When people from different culture unite, they share the interracial cultures that further strengthen racial bonds. Through this, unity of all races around the world is achieved. Therefore, these companies being close partners with FIFA in football sport had this unity in mind before volunteering to sponsor this great event.

* Financial capital
These companies are business oriented. They are not charity based. In supporting the event, they had in mind the opportunity of selling their products and promoting their companies’ image as a marketing strategy. World’s big sporting events, like FIFA world cup, are always known to attract many people. These people come from different settings; economic background, race, and culture. They form a good forum for marketing products by various companies since they are potential buyers. Therefore, by supporting this event, these companies had marketing strategy in mind for their goods and services.

* Opportunity
African countries have always registered complaints that the continent is being sidelined when it comes to creation of opportunities. FIFA and the partner companies, therefore, took the world cup event to South Africa with an aim of creating opportunity for all.

* Performance
This is another primary goal of FIFA. It aims at strengthening and promoting individuals with talents. By creating such a world platform to the players, the players would showcase their skills to attract recognition that would benefit them later in their football career.

* Integrity
All players must follow the rule of the game. This act of playing within the cordon of rules and regulation promotes integrity. This does not only happen to the players, but also to the fans and viewers. When you play hard and do not eventually win, and you accept the results, then you show a high level of maturity and integrity. Integrity and competition are key aspects in the business field; they measure the level of ethics and determination in a company.

* Economic development
Despite being the gateway to Africa, South Africa still has some economic challenges. Poor infrastructure, low tourist attraction, and inadequate capital investment among others, are still big headache for this country (Grundling and Steynberge 2010). By FIFA accepting to take this major football event there, FIFA and the South African government were targeting to help spur economic development in that part of the world.

Challenges
Like any other project, the 2010 FIFA world cup in South Africa faced many challenges. These challenges, ranging from political to social, interfered with the planning of the event in one way or another. Racial segregation, poor transport network, security threats and developing economy challenged the project timeline in varied ways. To understand fully the implication of these challenges, the report segments them as:

* Insecurity
Security is of prime concern and takes first priority whenever an event is planned and executed. With the proliferations of the terror advancement throughout the world, the organizers of the 2010 FIFA world cup were more concerned with security than any other thing. The porosity in the South African security system posed a great challenge. With the high number of people expected to attend the event, nationals and foreigners, the security personnel had to plan properly on how to manage security risks (Horn and Breetzke 2008). Measures such flight control over the stadia and corporation with the Interpol helped subvert terrorist plots to attack the multinational soccer fans.

* Infrastructure
Failure to co-host the tournament with other African countries forced the South African government to use its local cities and towns in hosting the event. This put a lot pressure on the government and other organizers to improve the road net-work and housing facilities (Collins 2009). These facilities were in a deplorable state, upon which the improvement would require more funds and time. This, therefore, was a challenge in holding the event because the improvements that were done never solved the challenges in the transport sector.

* Economy
South Africa is a developing economy. In doing the necessary improvements of the infrastructure and stadia construction, the government would require more funds than it was capable. Since these were to be carried out, the organizers found it hard in meeting the FIFA requirements. The government used the social funds to support the project. This was more of a challenge than was expected (Cottle 2007).

* Racism
Despite the event happening in the post Apartheid era, the country was still grappling with racial prejudice and hatred. Therefore, it was difficult to hold such a world-class tournament in such a racially bias society. In solving this challenge, the South African government, the media and the FIFA-and-partners rolled out both national and global campaign to portray the country as racially stable and cohesive than in the past (Der Merwe 2007).

* Political instability
The project demands were so high, given the deplorable state of the infrastructural development. The government, as a result, used the social funds in stadia construction and road net-work improvement. In safeguarding the interest of the citizens, the opposition officials rolled out a campaign with a view to stop the Jacob Zuma’s Administration from misusing social funds (Bloomfied 2010). They articulated that this act was squandering public money instead of solving the internal challenges that were affecting the people of South Africa. This destabilized the political front and impacted negatively on the progress of the preparation for the event.

Stakeholders
FIFA tournaments are big events, and can not be organized by a single entity. It needs corporations among the host country, FIFA and affiliate companies, host-cities’ administrations and international bodies such as the United Nations (UN) and the Interpol. In elucidating this corporate-web among these bodies, the report discusses each and the role it played as: * South African Government
At least the government of South Africa deserves an acclaim for their positive attitude and contribution during the preparation event and tournament period. It proved the Afro-skeptics wrong on the financial capability of the country. In corporation with FIFA officials to host the event, the government was required to foot the bill for infrastructural improvement and stadia construction. From reliable sources, the government spent R28 billion. On its part, the state’s intelligence and security personnel helped offer security to the tournament organizers (Horn and Breetzke 2009). Moreover, it was the governments’ role to ensure to the multinational football fans, FIFA officials, tourists and the players who participated in the entire exercise.

* FIFA and Affiliate Companies
Being the major stake holder in the tournament, FIFA and the partner companies worked closely with the rest of the stakeholders. It set standers for the event and inspected the preparation strategies that each stakeholder put in place. The task of organizing a world cup FIFA is so complicated that, without proper management, the project may derail from the desired course, and even schedule. To succeed in South Africa, FIFA worked closely with the local organizers that were headed by Dr. Danny Jordaan. He acted as the joint executive officers of the local organizers. Through him, the FIFA officials could asses the progress of the preparation exercise. Reliable source reveals how FIFA had to give $100 million to the organizing committee in order to fast-track the project. This was also aimed at meeting the financial gap in preparing the exercise facilities (Bohlman and Heerden 2009).

The FIFA affiliate companies also helped achieving the projects goals. They provided goods and services to the visitors and the football fans who gathered there the entire period. Coca Cola Company provided drinks and KIA motors helped in inter-city transportation of fans and visitors. The Adidas Company on the other hand, provided playing kits to the players. Despite these goods and services being provided at a fee, they contributed to the success of the project.

* United Nations
On 8th June, 2010, the UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon headed to South Africa in tour that would be seen as show of corporation in the 2010 world cup tournament(Travelling South Africa). Not to mention the 64/5 Resolution that was passed by the UN General Assembly in October 2009, will be a mistake. This resolution aimed consolidating the world’s support to the ongoing preparation exercise in the host country, South Africa. Reliable sources account that the UN contributed a lot in ensuring the success of the tournament. It also formulated the Millennium Development (MDG) slogan: “8 Goals for Africa”, to drum further the support of other developed nations to the tournament.

Equally worth noting, is the contribution of other the various UN departments; International organization for Migration (IOM), UN Population Fund (UNFPA), and World Health Organization (WHO) among others. The IOM rolled out a global campaign against human trafficking apart from measures to curtail this vice during the tournament (Cottle 2007). On the other hand, UNFPA donated 25 flat TV screens to display the stadia events for viewers outside the stadia. It also relayed the MDG goals on world population control. Apart from the campaigns on racism, the UN through the WHO, helped in health management by providing ambulances for emergency purposes and treatment services in the cases of disease outbreak. All these programs were done in collaboration with the FIFA officials and the government of South Africa.

* Interpol
Interpol is an international body that helps in investigation, detection and prevention of the international crimes. It operates in the 190 member countries and has its headquarters in Lyon (Horn and Breetzke 2009). In order to subvert the possibility international terrorism in South Africa, the Interpol staged a temporary headquarter in Johannesburg to assist in the security management during the tournament. This was done in consultation with the South Africa police and the intelligence service. In a speech at the official opening of the tournament, the Interpol Secretary-General, Ronald K., reiterated that the Interpol was committed to ensure total security for all during the event (Horn and Breetzke 2009). This was more than a commitment; it was a strategy to contain the security situation. This was done in collaboration with FIFA officials.

Risks
Being the first of its kind to happen in the African continent, 2010 FIFA world cup had several risks inherent in it. These risks were due to various factors that ranged from disease infection to political instability. The report analyses each factor and the risks in it as: The risk table Risk | Nature | Effects | Solution | 1.Terrorism | political | Terrorism is a transnational scourge that knows no borders. If successfully organized, it can happen anywhere at any time. It, therefore, remained a risk throughout the tournament period. Being a challenge and a risk, all at a go, terrorism proved to the biggest problem to the organizers of the 2010 world cup (Horn and Breetzk 2009). | -Temporary flight restriction over the stadia.-Corporation between the South Africa Police and Interpol. | 2. Health | Social | The world cup tournaments are known to attract many people from different parts of the world. Moreover, the overcrowding by the fans, both international and local, has always been associated with high rate outbreak and spread of diseases of diseases (Der Merwe 2007) | -UN through WHO, provided health kits, mobile clinics and ambulance for emergency purposes in the case of disease outbreak. -The government of South Africa, ensured proper screening of tourists at the main airports | 3. The Zimbabwean political instability | Political | The political and economic instability in Zimbabwe posed risk of greater magnitude to the success of the tournament (Bloomfield 2010). This is because the Zimbabwean opposition’s accusations of the Government of South Africa in supporting the Mugabe’s autocratic rule. Upon which they warned to disrupt the FIFA world cup tournament. | -Bilateral talks between the Government of South Africa and the Opposition officials in Zimbabwe. | 4.Poor turnout | Economic | Poor turnout by local soccer fans was a great risk that both the government of South Africa and the FIFA officials had to solve. As has been clearly outlined, both the government and the FIFA invested a lot of funds in the project. | -The government in collaboration with the FIFA officials normalized the entrance fee so as to contain as many people as possible. |

Recommendations and Lessons learnt.
The 2010 FIFA world cup tournament in South Africa was one of the most successful FIFA projects in the recent decades. High level of preparedness, determination, resilience in the face of difficulty, discipline and high turnout, all mark this event to be highly spectacular and triumphant. Therefore, for future events of the same nature, the following recommendation can serve as potential lesions: * The national security and communication
Despite the weaknesses that were registered in the security system of South Africa, the government through improved intelligence, the government ensured security for the entire period of the tournament. Working closely with Interpol, terrorism plots were thwarted and the internal security risks were subverted. Therefore, any nation holding such a big event should work together with Interpol and other security organs to maintain peace and stability (Pillay et al 2009).

* Risk management
Political, economical and social risks were all the challenges that the stakeholders in the 2010 FIFA world cup had to grapple with during the event. The Zimbabwean political instability, racial segregation, possibility of disease outbreak, and lawlessness were perilous to the event. The fact that the stakeholders contained them through joint corporations is serious lesson to any country that would later engage in such a project. It was successful.

* Project management
This is very important since it is the only positive indicator of any project. Proper planning, thorough assessment and financing, like in the 2010 FIFA tournament, are the only ways through which any project can succeed. Everyone must learn from this; every country must copy it.

Conclusion
Although the expectations were many, hopes were high, the odds and challenges were great, but the 2010 FIFA world tournament triumphed. It took the stakeholders more than money to arrive at this point. Determination in the face of difficulty, resilience, Joint Corporation and discipline were the only key factors that underpinned this victorious project.

Reference
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