Morocco won 2010 Soccer World Cup bid - report

Johannesburg - New claims have emerged that Morocco actually won the bid to host the 2010 Soccer World Cup, even though SA was announced as the winner, British publication, The Independent, reported on Sunday.

It claimed that secret video tapes - published by the British Sunday Times - apparently show then-FIFA executive committee member Ismail Bhamjee making the allegations about Morocco's top spot to an undercover reporter.

The newspaper quoted an extract from the video in which Bhamjee apparently tells the reporter that, after he and his colleagues discussed their votes: "We found out that actually Morocco won by two votes".  He allegedly suggests on tape that perhaps officials could have "deliberately miscounted".

The videos were apparently handed over to FIFA five years ago.

South Africa was believed to have beaten Morocco 14-10, in a FIFA vote for the 2010 hosting rights.

In May, the sporting body was hit by international controversy after an FBI probe led to the arrest of several officials on various corruptions charges. Allegations emerged during the investigations that South Africa was granted hosting rights to the 2010 World Cup after dishing out a $10 million payment.

The government has since said the money was a legitimate contribution towards a diaspora legacy programme involving the soccer associations of North America, Central America and the Caribbean Islands (Concacaf).