World Cup: As questions linger about South Africa, field solidifies

Exactly one year from today, the eyes of the soccer world will be on Soccer City Stadium in Johannesburg, South Africa, as the host nation kicks off the 2010 World Cup.

The momentous day will culminate a process for the Rainbow Nation that, according to Local Organizing Committee CEO Danny Jordaan, began in 1994 when the U.S. showed that a nontraditional soccer power could host the World Cup. As South Africa started to plan for a bid, it began to demonstrate its capability to host major sporting events by successfully staging the 1995 Rugby World Cup, then the 1996 Africa Cup of Nations.

A bid in 2000 for the 2006 World Cup followed. Although South Africa ultimately lost out to Germany, the decisive margin was just one vote. The confidence derived from that near miss led to the submission of a 2010 bid in December 2002. On May 16, 2004, FIFA announced that the biggest soccer competition in the world would be Africa-bound for the first time.

For South Africa, as significant as representing its continent may be in soccer terms, hosting the World Cup has a greater symbolic meaning. Exactly four months before June 11, 2010, will be the 20th anniversary of the moment many identify as the birth of the new South Africa, a nation that has moved from an age of isolation brought about by its government's policy of apartheid into a new, optimistic era that embraces all of its people equally, no matter their creed or color.

"When Nelson Mandela walked out of prison [on Feb. 11, 1990], it set the country on a new path, a path of hope, a path of improved infrastructure, a path of a South Africa that is part of a growing economy," Jordaan told media on a recent visit to New York to promote the World Cup.

In May 1994, Mandela was inaugurated as president. A year later, in one of the most significant moments seen at a sporting event, Mandela, a black man, presented the Rugby World Cup to Francois Pienaar, a white Afrikaner (Afrikaans-speaking people who have been established in South Africa since the 17th century and are mainly of European descent), while wearing a South Africa jersey bearing Pienaar's number. In 1996, sports once again served as a symbol of the new nation when Madiba, as Mandela is often known, presented Bafana Bafana captain Neil Tovey with the Cup of Nations trophy.

A generation removed from the start of the movement to end apartheid, South Africans are looking forward to opening their doors to the world to show what the Rainbow Nation has become in the 21st century. It is hoped that Mandela, who will be 91 years old by the time the World Cup begins, will be in good enough health and not too frail to join in the celebrations.

Concerns have been and continue to be raised about South Africa's ability to host the World Cup. At times, FIFA has not helped the cause of the host nation, not the least through its president, Sepp Blatter. His repeated assertions that a Plan B exists should South Africa not be ready did little to build confidence, especially when his right-hand man, general secretary Jerome Valcke, suggested this past July that if such a contingency plan did exist, he knew nothing of it.

Given the many events that have been successfully staged in their country in recent years, including the 2003 Cricket World Cup, many South Africans bristle at the notion that they are, somehow, incapable of hosting soccer's biggest competition. However, there is an acknowledgment that only by achieving the country's stated aims will the harshest of critics be satisfied. On a recent visit to the United States, a bullish Jordaan said he is content for South Africa to once again be assessed on its actions rather than its words.

"The World Cup will show that South Africa works, that South Africa can deliver, that South Africa keeps its promise," Jordaan said. "It doesn't matter what you say. We're going to finish our stadiums on time. It's going to be a world-class event. Believe in us, not because we say so, but look at our track record and our ability to keep to the time frame and project plans. Don't listen to our words, but judge us by what we have delivered."

If ticket sales are anything to go by, fans clearly are embracing Africa's first World Cup, especially those in this country. Of the 1.8 million ticket requests that have been received from 205 countries, 93,000 have come from U.S.-based soccer supporters. No country outside South Africa has purchased more tickets.

Preparations for the tournament are moving into their closing stages. In addition to five already-built stadiums, a purpose-built venue opened in Port Elizabeth this past weekend. Four of the remaining five stadiums, including the 98,000-capacity Soccer City, are expected to be completed by October, thanks in no small part to the 20,000 workers for whom jobs in stadium construction have been created in the buildup to the World Cup.

In total, the tournament has created 415,000 jobs, Jordaan said. Of those positions, 41,000 have boosted the numbers of the South African police force, which, it is hoped, will do much to pacify the concerns of those who are wary of the threat of crime.

Indeed, with off-the-field matters running smoothly, perhaps the most worrisome thing for South Africa one year from the World Cup is how its team will fare once the games begin. Bafana have endured mixed results under current head coach Joel Santana, and there are legitimate concerns that the team could be the first representative of a host nation to fail to advance beyond the group stages.

At least Bafana are assured of their spot. The U.S. should be there, too, barring a disastrous second half of qualifying for Bob Bradley's side in the CONCACAF region (the Confederation of North and Central American and Caribbean Football). Mexico's chances are not as good, with El Tri having lost three of their opening five matches in the hexagonal. Javier Aguirre's side is not the only established nation that is struggling to secure a place in the 2010 World Cup. Here's a brief roundup of how qualifying is panning out in the other regions:

UEFA (Union of European Football Associations)

Thirteen countries will represent Europe in South Africa, as nine group winners as well as the victors from four home-and-home playoffs will take their place in the 32-team finals field. Thus far, only the Netherlands has started to book plane tickets, and heading into the summer break in Europe, many questions remain about some of the continent's supposed superpowers.

Portugal, which finished fourth in the '06 World Cup, is the country most concerned about missing out, despite the presence of reigning FIFA World Player of the Year Cristiano Ronaldo. After six games, Carlos Queiroz's side is third in Group 1, seven points behind leader Denmark and four points behind second-place Hungary.

And what of France? The 1998 champion and 2006 finalist remains a formidable side on paper but continues to underperform. Raymond Domenech has somehow retained his job as coach despite a miserable Euro 2008 campaign and a World Cup qualifying campaign that currently sees Les Bleus trailing Serbia in Group 7 by eight points.

CONMEBOL (South American Football Confederation)

With four games remaining in South America, Brazil leads the standings by one point after collecting its third straight win. Not that Dunga's side has been altogether convincing.

Chile, seeking its first finals berth since 1998, is second after winning four of its past five matches to move a point clear of slumping third-place Paraguay.

Meanwhile, Argentina has made its life difficult by losing each of its past three road qualifiers to fall to fourth, with its most recent setback in Ecuador. Wednesday's 2-0 win saw La Tri move into fifth spot on their own. If qualifying were to end now, Ecuador would earn a home-and-home playoff for a World Cup spot against the fourth-place side in CONCACAF (currently Mexico).

CAF (Confederation of African Football)

One-quarter of the way through the final round of qualifying in Africa, a number of established countries have much work to do if they are to claim a place.

Egypt, the reigning Africa Cup of Nations holder, has made a dreadful start in Group C. The U.S. will play the Pharaohs in the Confederations Cup on June 21. The Egyptian squad's failure to translate its consistently good Cup of Nations form into qualifying success -- its only finals appearances have come in 1934 and 1990 -- continues to perplex.

Also facing an increasingly difficult task is Cameroon, which is rooted to the foot of Group A after two games. A goalless draw with Morocco on Saturday ended a tumultuous fortnight for the Indomitable Lions, who were coached for the first time by interim boss Thomas Nkono. He took over after the sudden resignation of Otto Pfister, who quit after the country's soccer association fired his assistant.

Did you know?

• Italy is the defending World Cup champion. No country has successfully defended its title since Brazil in 1958 and 1962. • The Confederations Cup starts Sunday on ESPN and ESPN2. It's an eight-team tournament that serves as a tuneup for the host country of South Africa. The competition features the champion of each continental confederation, plus the reigning World Cup champs and the host country.

AFC (Asian Football Confederation)

Three of the four automatic qualifiers from Asia were confirmed this past weekend, as Australia and Japan from Group A, along with South Korea in Group B, punched their tickets to South Africa.

Australia's success has come in its first qualifying campaign in the AFC after defecting from the Oceania confederation after the last World Cup. In the final round of qualifying, Pim Verbeek's side failed to win only once while goalkeeper Mark Schwarzer posted seven straight shutouts.

Fighting to clinch the final automatic spot from Asia are North Korea, Saudi Arabia and Iran, which are separated by one point with three rounds of matches to play. The fifth-ranked AFC nation will play for a World Cup spot in a home-and-home series against New Zealand.

OFC (Oceania Football Confederation)

Australia's move to the AFC has allowed New Zealand to dominate the Oceania region and move to within two games of reaching the finals for the first time since 1982. New Caledonia, Fiji and Vanuatu were no match for the All Whites, who dropped just two points as they cruised through the qualifying section.

Andrew Hush is a soccer researcher for ESPN International. He also blogs for ESPNsoccernet can be reached at a.hush@yahoo.com.