Soccer-South Africa expected to get qualified confidence vote

By Mark Gleeson

JOHANNESBURG, June 28 (Reuters) - South Africa is expected to be given a qualified vote of confidence when FIFA president Sepp Batter pronounces on the country's readiness to host next year's World Cup.

But questions over security and transport will come under intense focus in the next 11 months.

Blatter will address a media conference in Johannesburg on Monday (0900 GMT) to give his verdict on the eight-team Confederations Cup, a warm-up event one year before 32 teams compete in the World Cup finals.

Brazil came from two goals down to win Sunday's final 3-2 against the United States in an exciting finish to the event.

But the tournament was tarnished by the reported theft of money from hotel rooms of both the Brazilian and Egyptian teams and a general lack of security over access where untrained personnel allowed repeated breaching of stadium secure zones.

In the first week, organisers fired a security company responsible for access control at Ellis Park.

A park and ride system also proved disorganised early on in the tournament, leaving many spectators stranded trying to get to the game or return afterwards. Local organisers, however, moved quickly to lay on extra capacity.

The standard of the pitches also came under scrutiny. All four stadiums used had hosted rugby matches in either the Super 14 competition or the British Lions rugby tour just before the start of the Confederations Cup.