Blatter: Africa could get more World Cup places
Reuters - Friday 26 June 2009, 11:58
JOHANNESBURG - If African teams do well
in the World Cup next year, FIFA president Sepp Blatter says he
will advocate for more places for the continent at future
tournaments.
"I will advocate for Africa, or indeed for any other
continent that is doing well in the World Cup," Blatter told a
media conference in Johannesburg on Friday.
He admitted this might not prove easy for Africa, whose best
finish at previous World Cups has been to reach the
quarter-finals.
"It is not easy for Africa to make an impression because by
the law of averages they don't have the same possibility to make
an impression in the way Europe and South America do.
"Europe has
13 places to Africa's six and so it is hard to expect there can
be a host of African sides dominating the latter stages,"
Blatter said.
"But in 2010 the African teams have an advantage in that
they are playing at home and in their own special atmosphere.
African sides have proven they can play a big part next year.
Let's see what will happen."
Africa has six teams at the finals for the first time --
five qualifiers plus the South African hosts. Africa's
representation for the finals was increased to five for the 1998
finals in France.