South Africa's 2010 local organising committee (LOC) is expecting to show a surplus of between $77-million (about R577-million) and $100-million (about R750-million) on its books once the final whistle blows on the 2010 FIFA World Cup on July 11 - the proceeds would flow to the South African Football Association (Safa).

However, this surplus would also be dwarfed by the estimated $1-billion in profit that was likely to flow to FIFA, on revenue of between $3,2-billion and $3,4-billion - making Africa's first World Cup the most profitable in FIFA's history.

CEO Danny Jordaan told editors in Johannesburg on Monday that the surplus to Safa would arise should the LOC successfully remain within the confines of a $423-million budget ($200-million of which was funded directly from FIFA) and should ticket sales continue to exceed initial forecasts.

The LOC had been budgeting to earn $203-million from ticket sales ahead of the tournament, but sales had already surpassed $310-million. "So the difference between what is in the budget and the total income from tickets is surplus, which will go to Safa," Jordaan explained.

However, much would also depend on the size of the eventual financial claims against the LOC that were likely to arise following the tournament, and whether these could be successfully defended.

The private security contractor that was replaced by the South African Police Service (SAPS) to deliver stadium security had already indicated that a challenge was possible. The LOC cancelled a stadium security contract with Stallion Security after some of its security guards began protesting over salaries ahead of a round-one game in Durban and there were threats that the industrial action might to spill over to other venues.

Speaking as the tournament approached its midpoint with regards to matches played, Jordaan said that the decision to call in the SAPS was made in the interest of ensuring that all matches remained unaffected.

"We will debate who is right and who is wrong after the World Cup," he said, arguing, though, that the LOC did not stipulate employment and salary conditions to any of its contractors.

He indicated that lawsuites were often a feature of large events, but that the LOC was doing as much as it could to limit postevent claims. For instance, it had been compiling an ongoing video dossier of the stadium infrastructure, which would be handed back to the owners after the tournament. Claims could also arise from broadcasters, MATCH and the host cities.

"Once we get through the period of claims and counterclaims, we will be in a position to hand the money over to Safa. And, if everything goes well, it could be close to $100-million," Jordaan said, adding that the LOC planned to publish its audited financials by September.

Jordaan said that discussions had started on the creation of a foundation, based on the successful US Soccer Federation's post-1994 World Cup model, so as to ensure that the earnings were ploughed back into development.

Jordaan said it would be extremely sad if South Africa's football authorities failed to use the proceeds and the goodwill generated from the FIFA World Cup in a way that built on the world-class stadium infrastructure, the advanced broadcast infrastructure and the willingness of football's commercial partners to support the game.

The key now was to ensure that these three elements were buoyed by "good administrators and good players", adding that South Africa should aim to create a top-tier professional league, able to attract the best talent in the world.

But it was also "vital that football is fixed at the top and at the bottom", and he, thus, appealed to the education authorities to seriously consider the reintroduction of physical education at all junior and high schools.