By Michael Hamlyn

Cape Town city council has announced that it is looking for someone who will name and operate the soccer World Cup stadium now being built at Green Point after the event has ended.

The city said on Tuesday that the naming rights process would start on 15 January 2008, when tender documents will be made available on Cape Town's website www.capetown.gov.za , or from the city's tender office. The city is also looking for a marketing agency to facilitate the bid.

In the case of the operator proposal, the city is looking for a consortium with the skills and experience needed to operate such a facility successfully. Documentation for the operator will be available from 18 February 2008. The city hopes to appoint the operator by June 2008, depending on how much time negotiations take.

The news was released from the city's stand at the Soccerex 2007 International Soccer Expo in the Sandton Convention Centre, and follows Fifa's weekend announcement that Cape Town is the preferred bidder for the World Cup 2010 final draw in December 2009, six months ahead of the global event.

Meanwhile, the contract for the roof of the new Green Point Stadium, worth some 430 million rand, has been awarded to Birdair Pfeifer, a joint venture between an American company, Birdair, and a German company, Pfeifer. Birdair Pfeifer will be a sub-contractor to the main building contractor Murray & Roberts/WBHO.?

The awarding of the roof contract is a major construction milestone for the project, according to the city spokesman Pieter Cronje. He said on Tuesday that construction is on track for an official Fifa inspection by October 2009 and final completion by 15 December 2009.? The stadium will host nine World Cup matches including a semi-final.

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