FIFA wants the stars in South Africa

WITH FIFA already under fire from Irish players, management and the FAI for their apparent U-turn on the World Cup play-off seedings, critics will hardly be placated by the latest indication that the game’s ‘marquee names’ are urgently required by the for next year’s finals in South Africa.

Danny Jordaan, chief executive of South Africa’s World Cup organising committee, has said that to have a successful tournament, you need “world-class infrastructure and world-class teams”.

Asked how important it was for Portugal – whom Ireland could meet in the play-offs – to qualify, he said: “Very, very important. We have the big teams... England is in, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands but we need also the best players and Portugal with Ronaldo and Messi with Argentina [have] two of the most exciting players. They came one and two in the Fifa world player of the year.”