The First Secretary of the South Korean Embassy in Abuja, Nam Hyoung Jun, believes that Nigeria is capable of hosting the FIFA World Cup in 2030.
“Nigeria is a very special country. It is the biggest in Africa and is a nation that has potential to become a world force. I feel when the World Cup returns to Africa, it should naturally be organised in Nigeria because it will have a truly African touch,'' Jun said.
South Africa was the first country in the African continent to host the football competition in 2010, and according to the rotation principle instituted by FIFA’s President Sepp Blatter in 1998 to ensure all regions get a chance to bid, the World Cup is due back in Africa in 2030, and Nigeria is the favourite to host.
Despite the massive costs and huge task of preparing the country’s infrastructure to be able to stage the quadrennial event, Nam believes Nigeria will be ready in time.
''Twenty years ago, Brazil was a Third World economy, but today it is an emerging market for investment and tourism and has a thriving middle class. It is also the host of the 2014 World Cup.
“Two decades ago, no one would have imagined a sudden turn around for Brazil. Same thing can happen to Nigeria which truly has the capacity to be an economic power. You need the right policies that will grow the economy and improve on the existing infrastructure over long term,'' Nam said.
Nigeria has already hosted the Under-20 World Cup in 1999 and the Under-17 in 2009.
No comments:
Post a Comment