Landing in Johannesburg the only visible sign that the World Cup is coming to South Africa in three years time is the massive construction work taking place at the airport. Passenger terminals are being extended to cope with the influx of fans from around the world and flowerbeds on roundabouts are being given a 2010-themed makeover. But with the draw for the qualifying rounds taking place in Durban on Nov 23, expectations are rising.

Fears that the 2010 stadiums would fall as much as R3 billion over budget have been eliminated thanks to concerted negotiation efforts between the cities concerned and the selected preferred bidders.

South Africa football coach Carlos Alberto Parreira is undaunted by the task of transforming the Bafana Bafana into a force to be reckoned with by the time the country hosts the 2010 FIFA World Cup.

Wednesday 31 January 2007 marked a new chapter in South African football history as the South African Football Association (SAFA) were given the keys to their new headquarters, SAFA House.

FIFA President Sepp Blatter has reiterated the football world governing body's message that South Africa is the first and only choice to host the FIFA 2010 Soccer World Cup.

Addressing international observers and African leaders at the African Union's 8th Summit of Heads of State and Government in Ethiopia on Monday, Blatter gave the assurance that there was no alternative venue being held in reserve to replace South Africa as the host of the games.

A unique academic partnership that aims to provide comprehensive training for sport managers has been formed between a sports study foundation created by FIFA and two South African universities.

Johannesburg has stated its readiness to meet its World Cup hosting challenge and announced programmes that will ensure the success of the tournament as well as “legacy projects” that will benefit the city’s inhabitants for years to come.

Plucked by scouts from a dusty football pitch in a rough and tumble neighbourhood of South Africa's Port Elizabeth, 16-year-old Kermit Erasmus now attends the country's leading football academy.

In his New Year’s message from Zurich, Fifa president Sepp Blatter emphasised that the 2010 World Cup will have a positive impact on the African continent as a whole, far beyond the frontiers of the tournament.

The 2010 South African Local Organising Committee (LOC) held their final briefing for 2006 in Johannesburg on Wednesday. It provided the LOC with the opportunity to take stock of the past year and announce their plans for 2007.

The 2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa will not only be the first staged in Africa, but also the first time six African teams will be competing for the ultimate prize in football. While the Executive Committee did not change the quotas, the fact that Europe had an extra slot as they hosted the 2006 FIFA World Cup, the turn is now Africa's with South Africa. The number of African teams has gradually increased from one to five teams over the history of the event.

The first whistle of the 2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa will be blown on 11 June 2010 and the final game will take place on July 11.

Negotiations are under way for sponsorship rights to the 2010 Soccer World Cup. SAFA is gathering funding for stadium upgrades. Committees and focus groups are already discussing the projected payback for the nation. After all, 400 000 soccer tourists are expected and an estimated R9 billion could be injected into the economy, while 22 000 new jobs might be created. But aren't we missing something?

The SABC is gearing up for the 2010 Soccer World Cup. The national broadcaster has unveiled a high definition outside broadcast unit, which features the latest in broadcast technology. It is the first of its kind on the continent.

South Africa captain Aaron Mokoena believes his country can make a big impact on and off the pitch when they host the 2010 FIFA World Cup.

Fifa president Sepp Blatter once again dismissed fears that the next World Cup could be moved from South Africa and said the 2010 hosts were further along at this point than Germany was four years ago.

South Africa's Department of Communications (DOC) has presented its state of readiness to host the 2010 World Cup to its stakeholders on Tuesday in Cape Town. Prominent stakeholders present were the SABC, Sentech and Telkom-SA.

The Soccer World Cup tournament in 2010 is starting to lure white experts such as engineers, construction workers and accountants back to South Africa.

The final day of the first official FIFA workshop for the 2010 FIFA World Cup was interrupted with a highly anticipated speech from the Minister of Finance, Trevor Manuel, making an important announcement that was broadcast live from the South African parliament. During his medium-term budget speech, Manuel announced the government's amended budget, which includes R15 billion towards the first FIFA World Cup in Africa.

There may be almost four years until the curtain comes up on the 2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa, but already there is a great deal of work taking place behind the scenes to ensure that a stage is provided befitting of the world's greatest single sports event. Working together towards that aim are FIFA, the Local Organising Committee (SAOC), South Africa's local and national government, Host Cities and FIFA Partners, all of whom are currently represented in Cape Town for a kick-off workshop.

Gauteng has won the rights to host the world's largest soccer exhibition, Soccerex, for the next three years.

The South African government has set aside R3.8-billion for public transport infrastructure for the 2010 Soccer World Cup, says Transport Minister Jeff Radebe.

South Africa is on track, if not ahead of schedule, in its preparations for hosting the 2010 Fifa World Cup, according to local organising committee CEO Danny Jordaan.

Preparations for the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa are moving ahead at high speed, not only in terms of organising the world's biggest sporting event, but also on the sporting front, where the hosts are doing everything in their power to ensure a good showing four years from now. The Bafana Bafana qualify automatically and are determined to go further in front of their home public than the last time they appeared on the world stage, a campaign lasting just three matches in 2002.

The general secretary of the German football association and one of the driving forces behind the success of the 2006 FIFA World Cup, Horst Schmidt, is to lend FIFA his support with the staging of the 2010 event in South Africa in a consultancy role following an agreement reached with football's governing body.