Location
South Africa is really pulling out all the stops for the FIFA 2010 World Cup Soccer, this includes new stadiums as well as upgrades to existing stadiums. The 64 matches will be played in ten stadium across South African, they are located in the following cities, Johannesburg, Cape Town, Port Elizabeth, Durban, Bloemfontein, Nelspruit, Rustenburg, Polokwane and Pretoria. Of the ten, five will be upgrade and five built from scratch. Soccer City in Johannesburg will receive the biggest upgrade. Collectively they will seat more than 570 000 people and they are said to be the most spectacular in the world.
• Soccer City in Johannesburg will take the form of a traditional African drinking vessel known as a calabash, as this is one of the most widely recognizable objects associated with the African Continent. The outer skin area spans 43 000 m2 and will be constructed from natural energy-efficient material. At present it is the biggest stadium in Africa and seats almost 95 000 people.
• The Moses Mabhida Stadium in Durban has a steel arch 105 m above the middle of the pitch where spectators can use a cable car to enjoy an amazing view of the Indian Ocean.
• In Soweto there is the Orlando Stadium, which has been completed ahead of schedule, as well as the Dobsonville Stadium
• The Mbombela Stadium in Nelspruit is situated close to the Kruger National Park. This area is known for its wild beauty and animals. In keeping with the area the signature feature is the 18 roof supports that resemble giraffes.
Stadiums in townships are being upgraded, some as training venues. These include:
• Rand, Cecil Payne, Rabie Ridge and Ruimsig stadiums in Johannesburg
• Princess Magogo, King Zwelithini and Sugar Ray Xulu stadiums in Durban
• HM Pitje, Super and Giant stadiums in Tshwane/Pretoria
• Olympia Park Stadium in Rustenburg.
• Sesa Ramabodu Stadium in Rocklands, Cape Town
