Fifa Soccer World Cup Legacy
Fifa Soccer World Cup Legacy
With the successful conclusion of Africa’s first World Cup, it remains to be seen what
the broader legacy of the event will be for sub-Saharan Africa. While there is justifiably
much pride in South Africa’s tremendous work in hosting a major world event, it is not
yet clear what will be left behind for Africa’s children. South African President Jacob
Zuma rightly argued at an education summit before the final game that there could be
no greater legacy than universal primary education across the continent. Yet, the latest
figures demonstrate that 32 million children still do not go to primary school in sub-
Saharan Africa. Overall levels of international aid to basic education for the region
declined after 2007 and have not grown significantly since 2003. Without a much
greater and more targeted investment in education in Africa, there is no chance that
world leaders will achieve their commitment to universal primary education by 2015.
United Nations secretary-general Ban Ki-Moon said: "We cannot rest until every child
receives a quality education." He said 2010 marked a decade since the world
committed to providing primary education for all. To date 40 million children benefited
1
from this pledge but more needed to be done. With your support, the most important
goals at the 2010 World Cup will be the millennium development goals," Ban said.
Queen Rania al Abdullah of Jordan, co-founder and co-chairwoman of the campaign,
said more support was needed to ensure children grew up to fulfill their potential.
"How much will it cost to get children from low income countries into early childhood
programmes? 11 billion dollars, what the world spent last year on computer games.
"Or seven billion pounds, what one British bank raised from investors in 2008. If one
industry, one bank has that much money, how can the world's richest countries not find
the same amount? "When the final whistle blows at the World Cup in 2010 we want
every politician to know our goal, one goal, that global education is a global dream,"
she said, urging countries like the United States to support the campaign.
Fifa president Sepp Blatter, speaking from Zurich, said the 2010 World Cup represented
a "unique opportunity" to mobilise support around the globe to provide education for all
children in Africa. The soccer spectacle was a good rallying point for world leaders to
improve global education. Football was a "force for change". "Together we can work
towards making universal education in Africa a reality," he said. South Africa's soccer
greats, former Bafana Bafana midfielder Doctor Khumalo, former Bafana Bafana
defender Mark Fish as well as players Matthew Booth and Shaun Bartlett also pledged
their support.
The 1Goal campaign calls on football fans to sign their names to a petition to urge
world leaders to act on providing education. Soccer players from across the globe have
backed the campaign, including Rio Ferdinand, Thierry Henry, Robinho, Michael Essien,
Nicolas Anelka and Michael Owen. It is also supported by celebrities Kevin Spacey,
Jessica Alba, Clive Owen, Bono and Kelly Rowland.
http://www.sa2010.gov.za/node/2517
2
Addressing heads of state during the "1Goal: Education for All" summit in Pretoria on
Sunday, President Jacob Zuma said there was no greater legacy that hosting the 2010
Fifa World Cup™ could leave than that of education. "The most important investment
in the future of any nation is in education. No legacy can be higher than that," he said.
The President told the summit that there were approximately 72-million children across
the world who were not in school, with half of them in Africa.
3
celebrate its greatest tournament but now we have the chance to score a bigger goal,"
he said. Mokena said the world had failed to deliver on its promise to ensure that every
child in the world had an education, and called on world governments to act quickly and
decisively in providing children everywhere access to education. The campaign would
translate into giving hope to children and youngsters across the world and hope was
what the youth of the world needed, he added.
4
The President of South Africa Jacob Zuma and FIFA President Joseph S. Blatter
attended the opening of the Football For Hope Festival 2010 in Alexandra.
The opening of the Festival was a milestone in Football For Hope’s work, as it was the
first in the organisation’s history; evidence to FIFA’s mission of ‘building a better future’
with improved healthcare and the provision of education for young people the key aims.
It represents the universality of our game and also the universality of the World Cup.
But concerning the legacy, the movement of Football for Hope, which we have started
with the decision to make 20 Centres in Africa and other projects around the world,
means there is education and also healthcare, linked with football. There was not a
better opportunity than at the end of the competition, with just the last four matches
remaining, to start with this competition here, which is a very special one.
It was the idea not only behind this World Cup but the idea behind football. It has
been repeated before and if I say it, it has not the same the value as if the President of
the Republic of South Africa is saying it, but football is more than kicking a ball and this
I have realised since the very beginning of my career. You can say that football can
5
bring people together but more than that, football is a school of life because the
essence of football is discipline and respect and if you transmit discipline and respect
not only on the field of play but towards your families, towards your business, towards
your friends then football can play a very important social, cultural role in education and
this is the hope we have in football. Football can do that because it is the most popular
game in the world (Joseph S. Blatter).
http://www.fifa.com/worldcup/news/newsid=1267815/index.html
Sustaining jobs
In terms of the World Cup impact on jobs, Grant Thornton finds the figures very
encouraging. The number of annual jobs sustained in total is 695 000. Of these,
280 000 annual jobs will be sustained in 2010 and 174 000 by the net additional
economic activity in this year. This is an economic measure of equivalent annual jobs
sustained by this amount of economic activity, and not new jobs created. "We continue
to be upbeat about the impact of the World Cup," said Saunders. "The stadia will be
full and it will be great event; the profiling of South Africa and future spin-offs have
always been the real benefit of hosting an event of this magnitude."
6
Verbatim
Nelson Mandela: The Sepp Blatter: "Life is Paul Bannister: "The 2010
World Cup will help unify rhythm, football is rhythm World Cup is a powerful
people, if there is one thing and I feel the rhythm creator of opportunity for all
in this planet that has the when I am in South and must be used as a
power to bind people, it is Africa." springboard to our future."
soccer."