Blatter hails South Africa's World Cup

Fifa President Sepp Blatter has said South Africa can be proud of its hosting of the World Cup.

"I would like to compliment Africa and the continent, because Africa has proven that they really can organise the World Cup," he said at a press conference in Johannesburg.

"As I said at the very beginning it was a question of trust and confidence. They can be proud."

The World Cup had a unique African atmosphere and the head of the local organising committee Danny Jordaan echoed Blatter's words.

"So we sit here very happy, very proud to be African and South Africans. This event has brought about new personalities in world football.

"One of these personalities has the name called Vuvuzela... and then another personality emerged called Paul, and I don't know whether Paul is now more popular than the vuvuzela," he joked in reference to a "psychic" German octopus that correctly "predicted" Spain would be victors in the final.

The next World Cup will be hosted by Brazil in four years time and Fifa secretary-general Jerome Valcke said the road to ensuring another successful tournament was still quite far away.