In a new Op-Ed piece in the New York Times, U2 frontman and RED founder, Bono, came up with a Top 10 list for the new decade. Number 10 on that list was "The World Cup Kicks Off the African Decade."
Essentially, Bono argued that South Africa's ability to prepare for and eventually stage a tournament of this significance is a harbinger of continued improvement in infrastructure and, thus, should also herald a new era of substantial foreign investment in the country and continent more generally. This can all be done in the hope that these investments will shore up democracies that meet international standards of transparency and the dictates of a truly free market economy.
At the very least, World Cup 2010 has the potential to be transformative both politically and economically. How many other sporting events can claim that?
