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SA TO PUT WC BID BEFORE CAF

South Africa will present its bid to stage the 2006 World Cup to the African Soccer Confederation (CAF) executive in Cairo on Sunday, a South African diplomat said.

He said FIFA President Sepp Blatter, who has repeatedly urged that the event go to an African country if it was able to meet all of FIFA's strict criteria regarding telecommunications, security and infrastructure, would also be present at the CAF executive session.
A team led by Danny Jordaan, chief executive of the committee that has put together South Africa's $20 million proposal for the World Cup, will argue that other contenders should step down to allow a unified bid that would improve the continent's chances of hosting the finals for the first time.
Egypt, Ghana and Nigeria have already dropped out of the race, but Morocco are still in contention against non-African bidders Brazil, England and Germany.
Morocco, who have twice unsuccessfully bid for the World Cup in the past, are not expected to address CAF with their proposed bid at the weekend.
All bids have to be with FIFA, world soccer's ruling body by the end of next month. The decision on where the finals will be held in 2006 will be taken by FIFA's 24-man executive committee in March next year.

Reuters