It quotes the son of Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi.

"We are following an objective - to bring to Libya the 2010 World Cup finals. There is a real possibility for this," Al-Saadi Gaddafi says.

"We are not lacking on the economic front. We are prepared to invest a lot in this event," he said.

"We do not have any diseases here, unlike in other African states, and security is of the highest level."

Juventus

Al-Saadi Gaddafi, a former Libyan international, admitted that winning enough votes would not be easy.

"Certainly, having the aspiration to bring the World Cup to Africa is one thing, the reality is another."

Fifa president Sepp Blatter is pushing for an African country to be guaranteed hosts in 2010.

Africa is the only continent never to have won the right to hold the World Cup.

South Africa, Egypt and Morocco are all interesting in bidding.

Libya hosted the African Nations Cup in 1982, reaching the final where they lost 7-6 on penalties to Ghana.

The country is one of seven bidding to hold the Nations Cup in 2006.

Al-Saadi Gaddafi has become a well-known figure in Italian football since investing heavily in Serie A club Juventus.