Kevin McCallum says all those who have wanted to win the right to host the World Cup, courted a certain Jack Warner.
|||Here’s the thing about Jack Warner. No matter how much football officials knew about his penchant for a decent backhander, all those who have wanted to win the right to host the World Cup bid courted him. They knew he was corrupt, overbearing and hungry for money.
They all knew, but Warner had the power over the three Concacaf votes and they needed them. Those votes helped South Africa beat Morocco 14-10 in the 2010 bid. South Africa went out of their way to get them. At the time, it was believed they had just pimped out Nelson Mandela to Warner to get them, but the allegation of a $10-million backhander organised by two co-conspirators and paid through Fifa, suggests they felt the need to sweeten the pot more.
In his book, ‘Foul!’, Andrew Jennings outlines just how much Madiba was put through the mill to keep Warner happy.
“Ten of Fifa’s committee attended the inauguration of President Thabo Mbeki’s second term of office in late April (2004). Jack (Warner) and his party got better seats than some world leaders… What more did the South Africans have to do? Much more. Warner demanded an hour of Mandela’s time and promptly invited him and Archbishop Desmond Tutu to visit Trinidad. “(Mandela) went out to do battle again for his beloved country. He arrived late at night at Piarco airport… Sepp Blatter wanted his pound of Mandela flesh. He rushed to Trinidad and elbowed Jack out of the way to take centre spot the day after Mandela’s arrival. Blatter pumped the old man’s hand when he arrived at The Oval, the largest cricket ground in the West Indies, to be publicly exhibited.
“Frail Nelson Mandela was helped by an aide up on to the stage. He told the huge crowd that he had defied his doctor’s orders to end all international travel. ‘This is my last trip abroad – I am here to plead,’ he said. After 15 minutes he had to leave to rest in his hotel room.
“Bribes to Fifa officials were usually a taboo subject but in the week before the vote, the South Africans, probably acting on their own secret intelligence, spoke out. ‘If we have to choose between corrupting people and losing, let’s just lose,’ said Essop Pahad, one of Mbeki’s ministers. ‘We’re not going to give any money to anyone under the table.’
“Zurich, 14 May 2004. President Mbeki arrived at the Dolder Grand Hotel soon after seven in the morning, the day before the decision. Mandela followed shortly after. They must have been tired, travelling all night, but as they checked in Warner and Blazer were on their heels in the lobby.
“Warner said he needed another round of pleading because, ‘Unfortunately, Concacaf is still undecided’.” Another hour with Madiba persuaded him. Well, that, and, it is alleged, some cash. - The Star
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