South Africa will not only produce the best World Cup yet in June 2010 but also the noisiest - and there will be no security problems at all.
That was the promise made by 2010 Local Organising Committee (LOC) chief executive officer Danny Jordaan, a special media briefing in Johannesburg on Wednesday.
Jordaan said the LOC had no fears over security for fans and teams for both the Confederations Cup, which will start on Sunday, and the World Cup which will kick off in 12 months on Thursday June 11, 2010.
Jordaan said: "We have hosted 146 high profile events - including rugby and cricket World Cups - and more recently the IPS cricket tournament and we are about to host the Confederations Cup and the British and Irish Lions rugby team are touring our country.
"We have not had a single incident in those 146 events. The fans are going to be celebrating football and, with our vuvuzelas, are going to make both events really memorable."
Jordaan added the LOC had complete faith in the South African private security firm that is looking after fans, teams and officials during both the Confederations and World Cup events.
"It is because of our strange past that we have among the best and most highly-trained private security people in the world. There will always be criminal elements, no matter where a major event is played, but we have taken every precaution."
He added no fan or team should fear for their safety when playing in either soccer event.
Jordaan also said that, apart from Green Point Stadium in Cape Town, all the stadiums to be used for the World Cup would be ready by October 2009.
The new stadium in Port Elizabeth, the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium, had already been completed.
He said: "The PE stadium is a world first in that it was completed more than 12 months before the World Cup starts. In my opinion it is the best stadium in the world.
"As regards Green Point, we lost four months in negotiations with environmentalists and it will still be ready on time."
But Jordaan admitted when it came to strike action, such as the one planned in Nelspruit, he had no control.
"Strikes happen all over the world and we simply have to deal with them."
Jordaan also said the Confederations Cup, which is a dress rehearsal for the 2010 showpiece, was heading for a big success.
He said by Thursday all the teams would have arrived. Bafana and Iraq will kick off the tournament billed as the "Festival of Champions" at Ellis Park in the opening Group A match on Sunday at 4pm.
Jordaan said the Bafana versus Iraq match was heading for a sellout with 85 percent of tickets sold.
Bafana's next Group A clash against New Zealand in the Royal Bafokeng Stadium on June 17, had sold 57 percent of their ticket and the Bafana versus Spain showdown in Bloemfontein between was looking good with 83 per cent of the tickets for the clash at Free Stadium being sold by Wednesday.
Jordaan stressed the spirit in the country would be friendly and enthusiastic.
"The fact we were overwhelmed by 40 000 applications for volunteers for 4 000 jobs, underlines that fact.
"During the next two weeks we are going to get a taste of what is to come. The Confederations Cup hosts not only our own Bafana but our fans are going to see some of the greatest stars in world soccer here during the next fortnight. - Sapa