Nigeria is holding the most important discussions to date with its potential partners in their bid for the 2010 World Cup.

Sports Ministers and officials from Benin, Cameroon, Ghana and Togo were invited to Abuja for the first official meeting to go over detailed plans for the ambitious project together.

There have been a few problems - Cameroon were delayed and failed to show up as planned on Friday.

If we miss this chance, it could be 50 years before we get another Ghana's Sports Minister, Osei Kweku

And Togo's delegation said it was unable to come.

But the Chairman of Nigeria's bid, Segun Odegbami, was undeterred.

"The Minister from Ghana has endorsed the bid - they're going all the way," he said.

"And Benin has said the same thing. The bid is on course."

Odegbami said they wanted to work out exactly what each country would have to do to bring their facilities up to Fifa standards.

President Kuffour is keen

"To our shock, the smallest countries are the ones that are ready, and the bigger ones need to do some work," he said.

"Togo and Benin have beautiful stadia, good roads, good hotels and holiday resorts. The electicity supply is regular and the telephones work. They're also very safe."

Ghana's Sports Minister said they were giving the bid their full backing.

"We went to the president, and he confirmed his support," he said.

He dismissed reports that Ghana were demanding a stadium in exchange for backing Nigeria's plan.

"I plead with journalists not to engage in such reportage. It is absolutely false.

"Ghana is preparing for a bid for the 2008 Nations Cup, and we will be building stadia for that.

"If we miss this chance at the World Cup, it could be 50 years before we get another."

Benin's National Director of Sport, Alfred Amega, was a little more reserved.

"We'll do all that's possible to support the project - we're here to find out what we can do.

"2010 is very far away, and only my government can say if we are definitely on board."