Gadaffi hopes to get Blatter's support

Al-Saadi Gadaffi, vice-president of the Libyan Football Federation, announced the decision in Tunis on Friday, following talks with Tunisian president Zine al-Abidine Ben Ali.

"Libya and Tunisia will submit a joint bid to co-host the World Cup in 2010 and other steps, like setting up joint committees, will follow to make the bid successful," said Gadaffi.

He cited the cultural, religious and political closeness between the two nations as pluses for their joint bid.

We have to work to make Fifa back the bid Al Saadi Gadaffi

Libya had planned to invest up to US$6 billion in upgrading stadia and other relevant infrastructure for their individual bid but Gadaffi said their budget would be trimmed down as a result of Friday's decision.

Fifa president Sepp Blatter rejected an earlier plan by Nigeria, Ghana, Cameroon, Benin and Togo to co-host the tournament but Gadaffi still hopes to get his support for the idea.

"I had discussions with Blatter who did not favour joint bids because of the problems Fifa experienced in 2002 when Japan and South Korea co-hosted the tournament.

"We have to work to make them back the bid by the two countries," Gadaffi said.

Both nations are still expected to submit the documents for their single bids to Fifa by the end of September.

But a senior Tunisian sports official said the two countries are working on their joint plan.

"Officials and experts from both countries worked during the past two days to examine the joint bid before the two countries reached a deal to submit a joint bid," said Mohamed Zribi.