Pretoria - Monday will mark 500 days before the kick off to the world's biggest sporting spectacle to be held for the first time on African soil, the 2010 FIFA World Cup.
To mark this significant milestone, a range of activities will take place on the day across the country with the main event taking place on Monday in the Mangaung Outdoor Sports Centre in Bloemfontein.
FIFA Secretary General Jerome Valcke, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the LOC Dr Irvin Khoza and Dr Danny Jordaan, respectively, will address the media in Johannesburg on the achievements made since South Africa was awarded the right to host the event five years ago.
The media conference will also look ahead at the milestones leading up to the tournament's kick-off on 11 June 2010 at the Soccer City Stadium in Soweto.
The LOC further said that mayors and representatives of all nine 2010 FIFA World Cup Host Cities will converge on the sports centre for the national unveiling of the nine Host City Posters.
To kick-off the day's activities, the Italian Embassy together with 2010 ambassadors Mark Fish and Philemon Masinga will visit two schools in the area as part of the 2010 Schools Campaign "Adopt a Nation", followed by a schools mini-football tournament.
According to the South African government, it has availed more than R31 billion to support the preparations of the 2010 World Cup, with the money being spent partly to honour the 17 Guarantees Government made to FIFA.
"The things done will assist to accelerate our national development programme of combating poverty and creating work for the millions of South Africans
"Indications on the ground concretely show we are on course to host the best ever FIFA World Cup," according to the 2010 Government Coordinating Unit.
The dress rehearsal for the 2010 FIFA World Cup, the FIFA Confederations Cup will take place on 14-28 June 2009.
"As this is also a major tournament in the football calendar of FIFA, we are proud to say our country has declared that the standards set for the 2010 FIFA World Cup will be tested during this eight-nation football showpiece."
According to the 2010 Government Coordinating Unit all four 2009 FCC stadia will be handed over to 2010 Local Organising Committee by the end of January 2009.
At the end of 2008, 69 percent of progress was made at the Moses Mabhida stadium, 55 percent at Peter Mokaba, 64 percent at Soccer City, 38 percent at Green Point, 61 percent at
Mbombela, and 70 percent at Nelson Mandela.
Host Cities have identified Training Venues and upgrading has commenced with the set completion date of March 2009.
