This is probably the first significant news ever to hit the tournament since it was announced that it will be played in South Africa.

With still two more years before the 2010 FIFA World Cup gets here, we are already hearing some rumblings, if you will, about the biggest football tournament in the world.

Hell, the Euro 2008 championships have just concluded and football fans already have their eyes on the next big thing, if not the biggest. And as far as this story goes, it’s all about these doubts pertaining to how safe will the tournament’s participants be in South Africa.

You see, there seems to be rising concerns over continued security problems in the very area where the 2010 FIFA World Cup will be played. The World Cup is still the sport’s most prestigious and biggest tournament and with these security problems, it has put the possibility of South Africa hosting it in doubt.

Fortunately for FIFA, their president has another ace up his sleeve.

FIFA president Sepp Blatter, for the first time, has confirmed that there is a ‘’Plan B'’ for the host nation of the 2010 FIFA World Cup. He admits there is an alternative place but he still remains confident that the World Cup will still go ahead as planned.

‘’I would be a very negligent president if I hadn’t put away in a drawer somewhere a plan B,'’ FIFA president Sepp Blatter said.

‘’However, only a natural catastrophe would change things. If we had to activate the plan B, we would take our decision after the Confederations Cup.'’

The 2009 Confederation Cup is set in South Africa as well, making it a dry run if you will for the 2010 FIFA World Cup. For Africa’s sake, let’s hope nobody from FIFA gets AIDS eh?

Can Italy win again at the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa? Bodog sportsbook has the odds on Italy’s European Qualifying Group for the tournament.

Italy 1.29

Bulgaria 7.00

Cyprus 51.00

Montenegro 201.00

Want more odds? Visit Bodog for more international football odds and the best betting lines on some of today’s biggest sporting events.

2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa