DURBAN, South Africa (AP) South Africans proudly declared themselves nearly ready Tuesday, 100 days before they host the 2010 World Cup.
Tournament organizers have been repeatedly questioned about whether a country with high rates of poverty and crime was capable of hosting soccer's premier event.
At the 100-days ceremony in Durban, one of nine host cities, the mood was celebratory and determined. In other cities across the country, South Africans performed a dance based on soccer moves and sang the national anthem, stressing that hosting the tournament requires enthusiasm and national unity.
"As South Africans we have encountered a lot of skepticism but today, as we celebrate this milestone, we can confidently say to the world that we will be ready," Danny Jordaan, head of the South African organizing committee, said in Durban.
Deputy President Kgalema Motlanthe said the "brick and mortar" work was finished, and now it was up to all South Africans to prepare to be good hosts.