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Nigeria bids for World Cup 2010

Nigeria is awaiting to go ahead from president Olusegun Obasanjo before launching its bid to host the 2010 soccer World Cup, the country's campaign head said on Friday.

'What we're waiting for is president Obasanjo's assent and then we'll notify FIFA and launch our bid with a bang,' bid head Segun Odegbami said. 'We're getting ready to meet him as soon as it's practicable.'

World soccer's governing body FIFA have said the 2010 event will be hosted by an African nation - a first for the continent.

Egypt, Libya, Morocco and South Africa have all said they are keen to host the tournament. FIFA is expected to announce the successful bid in 2004.

Nigeria bided to host the 2006 World Cup but withdrew to back South Africa, which eventually lost narrowly to Germany.

Odegbami, former captain of the national soccer team, said he believed Nigeria's bid would be positively received by FIFA.

'We already have eight FIFA-approved stadiums in different cities and the new one in Abuja will soon be ready.'

Nigeria is constructing an all-seater 60,000 capacity stadium in the capital to host next year's All-Africa Games.

It hosted the African Games in 1973 and in 1999 staged the world youth soccer tournament. Nigeria, among African soccer's top sides, won Olympic gold in 1996 in Atlanta.

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