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As reported on FIFA.com

The commercial hospitality programme for the 2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa™ has already hit record-setting levels with over USD 115 million worth of sales, and it is rapidly becoming the most successful hospitality programme in FIFA World Cup™ history.

Earlier today, representatives of MATCH Hospitality, FIFA's worldwide exclusive partner for the hospitality programme, reported to the Board of Directors of the 2010 FIFA World Cup Organising Committee South Africa (OC) that over 50,000 hospitality packages had already been sold for the 2010 FIFA World Cup™. The meeting was also attended by the chairman of the FIFA organising committees for the 2010 FIFA World Cup™ and the FIFA Confederations Cup 2009, Issa Hayatou, as well as by FIFA Secretary General Jérôme Valcke.

"FIFA is extremely pleased to hear that hospitality sales are far surpassing all set targets. The sales are going at a much faster pace than for Germany 2006 for the equivalent period. This is yet another indication of the attractiveness of the FIFA World Cup and it shows the strong confidence of the corporate world in South Africa's capabilities to stage a fantastic World Cup in 2010," said the FIFA Secretary General.

Larger and more extensive than any hospitality programme in history, the hospitality packages have been snapped up by large and small businesses from around the world, and offer exclusive access, top-quality service and the best tickets to make for an unforgettable football experience in South Africa. The sale of the hospitality programme has started ahead of the public sale of 2010 FIFA World Cup™ tickets, which is scheduled to start via FIFA.com on 20 February next year.

"The pace of sales of hospitality packages is really quite remarkable and we are very happy with the level of sales. It provides a further indication of the tremendous excitement and interest in Africa's first FIFA World Cup. We will now intensify our efforts to prepare for the FIFA Confederations Cup and 2010 FIFA World Cup," said the LOC's chairman, Dr Irvin Khoza.

MATCH Hospitality AG is the only company that has been authorised by FIFA to sell exclusive on-site hospitality packages including services and tickets for every match of the FIFA Confederations Cup 2009 and the 2010 FIFA World Cup™.

Saturday's successful draw for the FIFA Confederations Cup 2009 has also sparked considerable interest in tickets for the festival of continental champions since they went on public sale on Sunday (23 November 2008) via www.FIFA.com. "The kick-off of the ticketing sale is very promising. I am convinced that the teams and their diverse styles will create a fascinating spectacle for the fans," said Issa Hayatou.