A Trinidad and Tobago football fan is pictured in the centre of Nuremberg before his team faced England during the 2006 World Cup in Germany. - reuters

zurich, switzerland (cmc):

A top South African football official hopes Trinidad and Tobago's Soca Warriors will make it to the 2010 FIFA World Cup and bring their vibrant spirit to the African nation.

"Hopefully we can see Trinidad and Tobago in South Africa in 2010," Danny Jordaan, chief executive of South Africa's Local Organising Committee for the World Cup, said.

"I think that it is important that a nation like Trinidad makes a return to the finals. I was there in Trinidad gathering support when we were trying to win the bid for 2010 and it will definitely be a pleasure for you to be there at the event.

"We all saw Trinidad play in the Germany finals and they showed good spirit and we need that in South Africa."

The Soca Warriors made their historic outing at the World Cup earlier this year when they competed at the global spectacle in Germany.

Admiration

Despite failing to win a game competing in Group B against giants England, Sweden and Paraguay, the small Caribbean nation gained the admiration of fans and officials who watched their performances.

Jordaan also praised the work of FIFA vice-president, Austin 'Jack' Warner, noting that he along with former South African president Nelson Mandela and FIFA president Sepp Blatter, had been an inspiration to football authorities. "We cannot let Nelson Mandela down. We cannot let Sepp Blatter and we cannot let Warner down," Jordaan stressed.

"Warner works for football and he continues to do that on a wide scale throughout the globe. He worked hard for others and he worked hard for South Africa 2010. Now we shall continue this trend."