South Africa marks 100 days to World Cup

[Zeppo]

South Africa marks 100 days to World Cup

With 100 days to go before the World Cup, jackhammers shuddered and bulldozers rumbled Tuesday as workers wearing ''Proud to be building Soccer City for 2010'' buttons readied South Africa's main stadium.

Inside, the grass was smooth and inviting. But not far away stacks of pavement tiles waited to be laid, and parking lots and access roads were still to be tarred.

The site could well be a metaphor for the June 11-July 11 tournament: While most of the big pieces are in place, all the details haven't been worked out.

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[Zeppo]

Cost of stadium reveals tensions in South Africa

Come June, soccer’s World Cup will be hosted by South Africa. Though only 4 of the 64 games are to be played here in Nelspruit, a $137 million stadium was built for the occasion. The arena’s 18 supporting pylons reach skyward in the shape of orange giraffes. At nightfall, their eyeballs blink with flashes of bewitching light.

The people who live nearby, proud as they are to host soccer’s greatest event, also wonder: How could there be money for a 46,000-seat stadium while many of them still fetch water from dirty puddles and live without electricity or toilets?

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