AP Interview: Hammam hails Blatter's African faith

Asian football leader Mohamed bin Hammam praised FIFA president Sepp Blatter on Friday for putting his faith in South Africa to stage the World Cup.

Bin Hammam told The Associated Press in an interview that South Africa has exceeded all expectations as a World Cup host after widespread concerns over security, public safety and stadiums being ready on time.

''I have to put on the record that Blatter's bet on South Africa has paid off,'' the Asian Football Confederation president said. ''Much of the credit has to go to his personal efforts and determination.''

The praise suggests warmer relations between the longtime colleagues on FIFA's ruling executive after they had been heading for a power struggle earlier this year.

Bin Hammam seemed to be preparing a challenge to Blatter's leadership at the FIFA presidential election due in 2011, then lost a key executive committee vote in March. The two men made peace several weeks later.

Two days before the World Cup final, Bin Hammam backed Blatter's judgment in bringing the tournament to Africa for the first time. The 24-member executive chaired by Blatter selected South Africa in 2004 ahead of bids by Morocco and Egypt.

At a news briefing on Thursday, Blatter said he had ''always defended the decision taken on my initiative.''

''I think he has put his neck out for this decision,'' Bin Hammam said. ''We didn't expect to see a World Cup so successfully conducted, (that) the teams are going to be comfortable, fans are going to be enjoying it.

''But at the end of the day what we saw was that everything was perfectly done - more than what we expected.''

Bin Hammam said security threats in South Africa had been ''one great issue that concerned everybody.

''The second concern was, of course, also that the infrastructure was not picking up so rapidly,'' he said. ''A World Cup cannot be played without stadiums and cannot be played also without safety and security.''

The Qatari official said the tournament was likely finishing without major incident - showing the world South Africa is a safe place.

''Its problems will be the same problems in New York, or London, or anywhere else,'' he said.

Bin Hammam joined FIFA's executive in 1996, two years before Blatter was elected president by the governing body's member federations.

After the Swiss announced he would run for a fourth term in 2011, Bin Hammam said FIFA should have its first leader from Asia.

In what was interpreted as a test of Blatter's authority, Bin Hammam proposed a two-term presidential limit starting with next year's poll. His motion was defeated 15 votes to 5.

The two men next met in Qatar in April, then Blatter stated that the Middle East was ready to host a World Cup.

Bin Hammam's home country is competing with Australia, Japan, South Korea and the United States for the 2022 tournament. FIFA's executive will choose a winner on Dec. 2. The 2018 host is selected the same day with one of the four European bids - England, Russia and joint bidders Spain-Portugal and the Netherlands-Belgium - favored to win.

Bin Hammam said the vindication of coming to South Africa could encourage FIFA voters to pick another candidate whose bid called for extensive construction projects.

''We know exactly as FIFA members what sort of infrastructure is required to be in place ... on the eve of the World Cup. We don't insist that everything has to be completed before we vote,'' Bin Hammam said, adding that FIFA's executive members were ''wise enough (and) clever enough'' to make the right choice.

''Their experience is much bigger and better than anybody else from outside to judge. If they decide something, the world has to have faith in them.''