Chief World Cup organiser Danny Jordaan

CAPE TOWN: The gun attack on Togo’s team bus in Angola before the start of the African Nations Cup will have no impact on the World Cup in South Africa this year, chief World Cup organiser Danny Jordaan said on Saturday.

Two members of Togo’s national football delegation died on Saturday following an ambush on Friday, a team member told French radio.

The attack, in which the driver was killed and seven injured, took place in Cabinda, a province where guerrillas have fought a secession campaign for decades.

“It has no impact on our World Cup,” Jordaan told Reuters from Luanda where he is to act as match commissioner for Sunday’s Nations Cup opener between Angola and Mali. “The world understands that sovereign countries are responsible for their own safety and security and to say what happened in Angola impacts on the World Cup in South Africa is the same as suggesting that when a bomb goes off in Spain, it threatens London’s ability to host the next Olympics.

“It is nonsensical for South Africa to be tainted with what happens in Angola, which is not even one of our neighbouring countries.”

Jordaan said the bus attack was a blow for Nations Cup hosts Angola.

“I feel very sorry for the Angolans because they have spent billions on fixing up their cities and building infrastructure for this tournament. This was going to be the event that would mark their transition from decades of war to a new social and economic order. In that context, it’s a blow.”

Meanwhile, Rich Mkhondo, media manager for World Cup 2010 organisers, said that the incident would not impact preparations for the 32-team tournament that begins June 11.

“We wish to state that there is no link between what happened in Angola and South Africa’s preparations to host the 2010 FIFA World Cup,” Mkhondo said.

“We also cannot compare organisation and security in Angola with South Africa just because the two countries happen to be in the same region in the world.”

“Africa has successfully hosted three successful FIFA events in the last eight months — the FIFA Confederations Cup in South Africa and the Under-17 and Under-19 World Cups in Nigeria and Egypt,” Mkhondo said.