Johannesburg, July 28 - Just a week after the opening of applications for volunteers for the 2010 football World Cup, the number of applicants has exceeded the number required, BuaNews reported Tuesday.

As of Monday, the 2010 World Cup Local Organising Committee (LOC) had received 15,042 applications from prospective volunteers from 133 countries.

This included 482 applications to volunteer at the World Cup final draw in Cape Town in December and a further 188 for the Football for Hope Festival in Alexandra, Johannesburg, which will take place during the tournament.

According to the LOC, 15,000 volunteers are required to assist the officials during the tournament. Of them 10 percent should be from African nations, 10 percent from other countries and the rest will be selected from the host South Africa.

LOC Chief Executive Officer Danny Jordaan said the committee and its board was delighted with the phenomenal response and the enthusiasm from people to play their part in helping to successfully deliver Africa's first World Cup.

'We encourage people to continue to apply until the end of August to ensure we have the strongest possible volunteers to assist in all functional areas,' he said.