Germany snatches sensational World Cup victory

Germany snatches sensational World Cup victory
Erskine McCullough

ZURICH, JULY 6: Germany scored a stunning one point victory to snatch the most glittering prize in football from South Africa here on Thursday. Germany won the right to host the 2006 World Cup by 12 votes to 11 from FIFA's 24-man executive committee when Oceania member Charlie Dempsey abstained. If the New Zealander had voted for South Africa, FIFA president Sepp Blatter, who has been secretly campaigning for the African nation, would have had the casting vote -- ensuring certain victory for South Africa.

Before announcing the result, Blatter said the executive committee had had two choices - "to invest with courage and trust in a newly developed football nation or stand with an established football house."

In the end the committee rejected South Africa's plea that it was Africa's time. Instead they went for the security and tradition offered by Germany, who last hosted the tournament in 1974 when they were West Germany and part of a divided Europe. The two other candidates, England and Morocco, quickly fell by the way side -- going out in the first two rounds.

Morocco were the first to fall when they only managed three votes. England collected five, Germany 10 and South Africa six. But England's support crumbled in the second round and they crashed out with only two votes. Germany and South Africa were neck and neck with 11 votes each and in the final and decisive third round at FIFA House, high on the hill overlooking Lake Zurich, Germany snatched a last minute winner.

Moroccan bid president Driss Benhima blamed FIFA president Sepp Blatter for the defeat. "It was not South Africa that beat us. It was outside forces -- the FIFA president," he complained. "They tried to help South Africa by pressurising the South Americans and it did not help us one bit," he added.

Former English football international Terry Paine, who now lives in South Africa and was part of the South Africa bidding team could not hide his anger. "Africa nil -- Europe 10," fumed Paine afterwards. "I find it incredible that one man did not cast his vote. It is short of what is acceptable."

Germany's last gasp success was clear 20 minutes before Blatter made the official announcement. Bidding president Franz Beckenbauer came into the Zurich conference centre ahead of Blatter, beaming and smiling and hugging German journalists. In contrast, South Africa's team, lead by Danny Jordann, looked somber and as Blatter opened the envelope with the result they sat in the hall with their heads bent down.

Germany's victory was achieved after Asia's four executive members agreed late Tuesday night to vote in a block for Germany according to sources close to the campaign. Blatter had a 5am meeting on Thursday with the four in a lasp gasp bid to convince them to switch their support to South Africa but the 63-year Blatter came away empty-handed.

Blatter had been furiously canvassing to bring the World Cup to the African continent for the first time and Thursday's vote by his executive committee is as much a defeat for Blatter as it is for South Africa.