Fifa president Sepp Blatter has reiterated during the African Union summit that the World Cup will definitely come to South Africa in 2010.
And President Thabo Mbeki ambitiously assured more than 30 African heads of state that it will stay in Africa after that.
The continent's leaders responded by pledging their unequivocal support for South Africa as the host nation.
"The World Cup will stay on the African continent," Mbeki said, expressing confidence that an African nation would win the tournament.
The AU has declared 2007 the Year of African Football, marking the 50th anniversary of the founding of the Confederation of African Football (Caf).
A heavyweight footballing contingent including Blatter, Caf president Issa Hayatou and Local Organising Committee members Danny Jordaan and Irvin Khoza were at the summit to give Mbeki moral support.
The 2010 World Cup is being seen as not only a boon for South Africa but for the entire continent, with numerous projects, like the Africa Legacy Project and Fifa's programme to promote soccer in Africa.
Blatter said he was looking to host more Fifa competitions in Africa and provide more training for technical and administrative staff. He said this was aimed at helping to stem the drain of African stars from the continent to lend their skills to foreign teams.
In promoting the 2010 event as an African showpiece, South Africa is keen for the continent to cash in on the lucrative spin-offs.
Blatter on Monday encouraged neighbouring countries to prepare themselves better to assist with the event. "We want the neighbouring countries of South Africa to improve their offer to provide training grounds ahead of the 2010 World Cup."
He again played down any notion that the 2010 World Cup would be taken away from South Africa.
The country's ability to host the premier soccer showpiece has been called into question because of a perceived lack of preparation for the event, and rampant crime.
"I would like to tell all those who are still critical and doubt that South Africa can host the World Cup, the alternative solutions we have in our right and left pocket. B is called South Africa and C is called South Africa," quipped Blatter.
He added he was standing beside Nelson Mandela in 2004 when he was able to do justice to Africa by announcing that South Africa would host the World Cup in 2010.
"It was a message to the world that the football family trusts Africa," Blatter told heads of state.
"We hope Africa will be looked at with more support and less patronising," Blatter said. - Independent Foreign Service