Dan Plato, the mayor of Cape Town, displays the gold coins to commemorate the World Cup, which begins in 100 days in South Africa. (Lali Cambra for Infosurhoy.com)

CAPE TOWN, South Africa – Minimizing fears about possible transportation problems and the ever-present security concerns, the cities hosting World Cup 2010 have started the much-awaited, 100-day countdown to the tournament’s kickoff.

Organizers received a boost of confidence from Sepp Blatter, International Federation of Futbol Associations (FIFA), who said that there was “no doubt” about South Africa’s ability to host the event.

Jérôme Valcke, FIFA’s secretary general, said that South Africa “is ready” and that he “looks forward” to the inaugural match.

The World Cup kicks off with South Africa facing Mexico in Johannesburg at June 11 at 16:00 EST, as tradition dictates the host nation plays in the first game. The day concludes in Cape Town, where Uruguay plays France at 20:30 EST.

Blatter and Valcke’s words come after a four-day inspection of the ten stadiums that will host the matches. All construction work has been finalized at the venues, with some last touches pending in surrounding areas.

In Durban, the last stop of the inspection tour, celebrations for the start of the countdown were held at the Moses Mabhida stadium, which will be inaugurated tomorrow with a match between Bafana Bafana (the local nickname of the South African national team) and Namibia.

“With doubts, there is no trust,” Blatter said in Durban, a lush city on the coast of the Indian Ocean. “And [doubts] bother me and FIFA sometimes. Come on! Let’s celebrate this World Cup and we’ll talk [about doubts] in July.”

“We are on schedule. We are ready for the World Cup,” Valcke said. “This is our message after the inspections.”

At the countdown event in Durban, Kgalema Motlanthe, South Africa’s deputy president, highlighted the improvement to roads nationwide, but acknowledged there still is work to complete.

“You have to be proud of what you have achieved,” Motlanthe said. “We can say that, in many aspects, we are ready to welcome the world three months ahead of schedule.”

But the celebration not only has been for dignitaries and government officials.

In Johannesburg, the local government closed streets to present and teach the official dance of the World Cup, the “Diski.” In Durban, soccer balls and the World Cup logo were distributed and in Cape Town, Mayor Dan Plato offered cake to volunteers who worked with the organization committee and presented the World Cup’s commemorative gold coins in a ceremony on the city’s Sugar Hill Mountain.

Plato believes the road work that is needed throughout the city as well as the completion of a mass transit system to connect the airport with downtown Cape Town will be ready for the city’s inaugural match, between Uruguay and France. It is estimated that a million visitors will attend the World Cup.

“Tickets for the matches [in Cape Town] are sold out,” Plato said. “But [it’s important that] people on the street vibrate with the World Cup. We need citizens to feel that the event is coming so they can be part of it.”