• SA to meet Namibia in an international friendly match at Moses Mabhinda Stadium
• Fifa's President Sepp Blatter congratulates South Africa for successful preparation

South Africa celebrated 100 days before the start of the the 2010 World soccer tournament with a gala dinner on Monday evening at the Moses Mabhida Stadium in Durban.

The function was attended by South Africa's Deputy President Kgalema Motlanthe, Fifa President Sepp Blatter and the governing body’s general secretary, Mr Jerome Valcke, among other dignitaries.

The African countries, which are part of this Africa’s first World Cup, sent congratulatory messages to the host nation.

Mr Blatter congratulated South Africa for the successful preparation for hosting the month-long world soccer extravaganza, expected to kickoff on June 11. He thanked host cities and governments for building stadiums that would enter "architectural history" and assured the nation that these were going to be useful structures years after the World Cup soccer matches.

Mr Blatter added that he knew before he picked the winning nation envelope in 2004 that Bafana Bafana (South Africa) were going to be the hosts of the 2010 tournament.

The Fifa President also said that he hoped former president Nelson Mandela would attend and give an opening remark.

Mr Valcke has recently conducted a comprehensive inspection tour of all the country’s stadiums accompanied by local and foreign journalists, and pegged South Africa’s readiness on a scale from one to 10, at eight, adding it will surely reach 10 by June 11.

A survey carried out on 1,200 citizens from Cape Town, Durban, Johannesburg and Pretoria to measure the level of people’s preparedness to host the World Cup, revealed that 84 per cent of South Africans now feel the country was ready, compared to the previous survey in June 2006 where 65 per cent felt South Africa was ready for an event of such a magnitude.

Mr Motlanthe said: “Together, as South Africans and Africans, we have faced doubters and skeptics, we have faced critics and opponents. We have heard people say we cannot finish stadiums. We have heard people say we cannot provide safety and security. We have heard people say we cannot host the Fifa World Cup. Today, 100 days before the opening match, I ask you to recall the words of US President Barack Obama. Can we stage an outstanding World Cup in Africa? Yes, we can, we are waiting and we are ready”.

The mayor of Thekwini, Durban, Mr Obed Mlaba, took the opportunity to encourage South Africans to show their support for the national team and the World Cup by starting to wear their Bafana-Bafana jerseys.

An international friendly match against Namibia will be played on Wednesday, at the Moses Mabhida Stadium in Durban, kicking off at 20h30 in the evening.