Football's world governing body will help South Africa organise the 2010 World Cup but believes the country is more than capable of staging the event, FIFA President Sepp Blatter said on Tuesday.
"South Africa is a multi-cultural country of different tribes... and you do need a certain kind of intelligence to bring this all together," Blatter told a press conference at the World Cup in Germany.
He said Britain's sports minister Richard Caborn had already visited South Africa twice to offer his assistance, and the European Union was also willing to help in the huge logistical operation of organising a World Cup on the African continent for the first time.
"But at the end of the day we do not want too many cooks spoiling the meal we are trying to prepare," Blatter said. "We can trust South Africa and help them, but we cannot go there and say we are missionaries.
"We want to give back to Africa what it has given to Europe, especially European clubs," he added, in reference to African players like Samuel Eto'o of Cameroon and Barcelona who grace Europe's top club sides.
The Swiss said the widely successful World Cup in Germany, which was entering the semi-final stage on Tuesday, had set a high standard for the South African organisers but recalled that doubts had been expressed about Germany's hosting of the event when they were first awarded it.
"South Africa is a flourishing country with the largest gold reserves and diamonds and other minerals," he added. "When you look at the telecommunications and roads etc, I do not have any problem with that." South African President Thabo Mbeki will visit Berlin to present South Africa's plans for the next World Cup on Friday.
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