Oluwashina Okeleji BBC Sport, Lagos

Adamu says South Africa should ask for help in organising the World Cup

After Germany's impressive show this year, most pundits say South Africa has a tough act to follow in 2010.

Adamu says in order to stage a "truly African World Cup", South Africans must not be too proud to seek help.

"South Africa needs Africa's help because the 2010 World Cup is for Africa," said Adamu, Nigeria's voice on Fifa's so-called football parliament.

He added: "South Africa needs manpower to help in building the required facilities and they also need help in terms of security.

"The African media must also play its part and portray a positive picture for 2010 because the world's image of the African continent is mostly negative."

Adamu, who recently caused a stir by calling for a radical change in Fifa's attitude towards government involvement in football affairs, insists that involving other nations is South Africa's best option.

"It's very important for the South Africans to reach out to the rest of the continent, like the Germans did for their World Cup," said Adamu, who also sits on the executive committee of the Confederation of African Football.

He told BBC Sport on Wednesday: "Germans got a lot of help from Uefa [Europe's governing body] due to the fact that the 2006 World Cup was in Europe.

"We believe that 2010 is not just a South Africa thing but an African project, so if it looks bad, then we all look bad.

"Despite our problems, I believe Africa as a whole has great personnel," said the chairman of the organising committee of the 2003 All Africa Games held in the Nigerian capital, Abuja.