But hopes of Morocco finally winning the right to host the tournament have taken a major blow after the report raised concerns over stadia plans.
The technical reports on the five bidding African nations, seeking to host the first ever FIFA World Cup on the continent, are the result of trips taken to all bidding cities to examine the infrastructure and suitability of each country.
The FIFA Executive Committee received copies of the report, outlining the bids by Egypt, Libya, Morocco, Tunisia and South Africa, last month. It will vote on who should win on May 15.
South Africa, said the report, ‘has the potential to stage an excellent World Cup’.
Egypt, was ‘capable of organising a very good World Cup’ but lacked ‘stadiums suitable for an event of such magnitude’.
Morocco received a similar ‘very good’ rating, but the report pointed to the ‘lack of football infrastructure and that ‘three stadiums presented to the 2006 Inspection Group in February 2000 as under construction have not been realised at all’.
Tunisia’s hopes of co-hosting the event with Libya were rejected by FIFA, but was told ‘if they change their opinion about co-hosting and they follow their bidding book, they have the potential to organise a good World Cup’.
Libya’s hopes were dashed, however, with the reports saying the country would face ‘great difficulties’ in organising the tournament.
Said a FIFA statement: “The report demonstrates that at least three of the candidates are potentially capable of organising a successful FIFA World Cup single-handed.
“The prospect of two countries co-hosting is therefore out of the question.”
South Africa came within one vote of winning the race to host the 2006 tournament, before being controversially beaten by Germany.
