On this day 15 May 2004 (Exactly 16 years ago today) The Federation of International Football Association (FIFA), announced that South Africa would host the 2010 FIFA World Cup tournament, the first in the history of world football’s governing body to be held in Africa.
With 14 votes, South Africa were declared as winners after the first round of voting. Morocco received 10 votes, while Egypt did not tally any.
FIFA President Joseph S. Blatter announced the results of the vote at a media conference held on Saturday, 15 May 2004, at the World Trade Center in Zurich in the presence of high-ranking government officials of the candidate countries as well as hundreds of media representatives from all around the world.
In a short address prior to announcing the host nation, Blatter thanked the five bidders for their excellent work and stressed: “The winner is Africa. The winner is football.”
Convening on the morning to discuss the applications for the final time, the FIFA Executive Committee only had to deliberate over four bids, as prior to the associations’ presentations on 14 May, the FIFA Executive Committee had once again confirmed that the FIFA Statutes did not provide for a co-hosting arrangement.
This confirmation led Tunisia to withdraw its bid. Furthermore, during its final deliberations, the Executive Committee came to the conclusion that it could no longer consider Libya’s bid as it did not meet all the stipulations laid down in the official List of Requirements. The executive also thanked the Libyan Football Federation for its work during the bidding procedure.
The result of the vote represented the highlight and climax of an 18-month procedure that began at the end of 2002 with the African member associations invited to declare an interest in hosting the tournament.
As well as the five countries that submitted full bid files and received visits from the FIFA Inspection Group between October 2003 and the end of January 2004, Nigeria had also shown initial interest but decided against following it up at the end of September 2003.
In 2000, following the dramatic result of the voting for the host nation of the 2006 FIFA World Cup tournament with Germany prevailing by 12 votes to 11 (with one abstention), the FIFA Executive Committee decided to introduce a rotation policy for the FIFA World Cup tournament and accorded Africa the right to host the 2010 FIFA World Cup tournament. FIFA’s flagship event was held in South America in 2014.
“We can all applaud Africa,” Joseph S. Blatter, president of FIFA, said in making the announcement. ”The victor is football. The victor is Africa.’
Nelson Mandela, the then 85-year-old former president of South Africa whose 27 years of imprisonment provided the moral force behind the dismantling of apartheid and the emergence of democracy, held the World Cup trophy aloft at a news conference in Zurich and said that he felt ”like a young man of 50.”
Elsewhere;
On this day 15 May 2007 (Exactly 13 years ago today) Chelsea fans voted Michael Essien as Chelsea Player of the Year for his contributions in the 2006–07 season, becoming the first African to receive the honour. His late dramatic equalising goal against Arsenal was also voted as Chelsea Goal of the Season for 2006–07.
On this day 15 May 2002 (Exactly 18 years ago today) Zinedine Zidane scored a goal of sheer brilliance as Real Madrid beat Bayer Leverkusen 2:1 to end their centenary season by winning their ninth European Cup.
Real Madrid’s Spanish forward Raúl opened the scoring in the eighth minute, but, five minutes later, Brazilian defender Lúcio levelled the scores with a header that beat goalkeeper César. But in the 45th minute, one of the greatest goals in UEFA Champions League history was scored; Zinedine Zidane received a high, arcing cross from Roberto Carlos on the
edge of the penalty area, volleying a leftfooted shot left-h the top corner
In the 68th minute, César was injured and had to be replaced by 21-year-old Iker Casillas. With the young Casillas between the posts, Real Madrid managed to hold their ground against a very attacking Leverkusen side, until the final whistle from referee Urs Meier.
Bayer Leverkusen: Butt, Zivkovic, Lucio (Babic 90), Placente, Basturk, Ballack, Schneider, Sebescen (Kirsten 65), Ramelow, Neuville, Brdaric (Berbatov 38). Subs Not Used: Juric, Vranjes, Dzaka, Kleine.
Real Madrid: Cesar (Casillas 68), Salgado, Carlos, Hierro, Zidane, Helguera, Solari, Makelele (Flavio 73), Raul, Morientes, Figo (McManaman 61). Subs Not Used: Guti, Karanka, Munitis, Pavsn.
Booked: Salgado, Carlos.
Attendance: 52,000
Referee: Urs Meier (Switzerland)
On this day 15 May 1963 (Exactly 57 years ago today) Tottenham Hotspur won the 3rd edition of the European Cup Winner’s Cup against Atlético Madrid at Rotterdam
Tottenham won the match 5–1 thanks to goals by Jimmy Greaves (2), John White and Terry Dyson (2). Tottenham’s victory made them the first British team to win a major European trophy.
On this day 15 May 1991 (Exactly 29 years ago today) Manchester United won the 31th edition of the European Cup Winner’s Cup against FC Barcelona 2-1 at the Feyenoord Stadium in Rotterdam
The match ended 2–1 to Manchester United on the night, with both United goals coming from former Barça forward Mark Hughes. Ronald Koeman scored a consolation goal for Barça towards the end of the game, but it was not enough to prevent the Red Devils from becoming the first English side to win a European competition since they were banned in 1985. It was also United’s first European title in 23 years, since the European Cup in 1968.
On this day 15 May 2010 (Exactly 10 years ago today) Chelsea manager Carlo Ancelotti created history as Didier Drogba’s second-half winner sank Portsmouth and sealed the London club’s first Premier League and FA Cup double.
Drogba’s precise free-kick just before the hour mark was the decisive moment of an incident-packed FA Cup final in which Chelsea hit the woodwork five times in the first half and both sides also missed from the penalty spot.
Chelsea – who become only the seventh club to win the coveted domestic Double – were again grateful to the prolific Drogba, who kept up his remarkable record of scoring in each of his six games at Wembley with his 37th goal of the season.
He scored only minutes after Pompey’s Kevin-Prince Boateng saw his half-hit penalty saved by Chelsea keeper Petr Cech – and in that moment Pompey’s chances of repeating their victory of two years earlier effectively disappeared.
Chelsea were even able to survive a rare penalty miss by Frank Lampard in the closing minutes when he shot wide from the spot after he had been brought down by Michael Brown.
The margin of victory belied Chelsea’s superiority, especially in a remarkable first half when Lampard, John Terry, Salomon Kalou and Drogba, on two occasions, all struck the frame of the goal.
On this day 15 May 1970 (Exactly 50 years ago today) South Africa was expelled from the International Olympic Committee(IOC)
By George “Alan Green” Mahamah
