South Africa - Host Of The 2010 Soccer World Cup
The
tension is reaching the breaking point as South Africa prepares to host the
2010 Soccer World Cup. The stadiums are completed and already have hosted
pre-cup games. Major upgrades in the hospitality and transport sectors have
come on line, the Rainbow Nation is ready, and South Africa will continue to
benefit long after the last ball has been kicked and the final match has been
played.
This
will be the first time that the prestigious international event takes place on
African soil. Why this is, is an open question, given the fact that South
Africa has successfully hosted both the 1997 World Rugby Cup and the 2003 World
Cricket Cup, not to mention the presence of internationally competitive African
teams like Ivory Coast, Nigeria, and Cameroon, all of whom have a good chance
of taking home the FIFA trophy.
While
South Africa's hopes of reaching the finals are not considered the best, the nature
of soccer cup competitions, and especially the FIFA World Cup, is that any team
can win, and indeed, if the host country does take gold then it will not be the
first dark horse to do so.
Although
many of the matches are scheduled to be played in the urban hubs of Cape Town,
Durban and the Soweto / Johannesburg / Pretoria Metropolis, South Africa has
ensured a wider spread of benefits by establishing ten stadiums across the
country. All meet FIFA standards in terms of safety, team, and crowd comforts,
and all compare with any other soccer stadium anywhere else in the world:
The three most
high profile stadiums are Johannesburg (Soccer City, 88,000 seats), Johannesburg
(Ellis Park Stadium, 61,000 seats), and Tshwane / Pretoria (Loftus Versveld
Stadium, 49,000 seats). These three stadiums in South Africa's central urban Metropolis
will host three rounds of sixteen, two quarter finals, and the all-important
final game at Soccer City in Soweto.
In moments between exciting matches,
international soccer fans will have the opportunity to experience vibrant
African city life and the game reserves that lie beyond.
The three soccer venues
on South Africa's southern and western coastal strip - Cape Town (Green Point
Stadium, 66,000 seats), Durban (Durban Stadium, 69,000 seats), and Nelson
Mandela Bay / Port Elizabeth (Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium, 46,000 seats) -
although not benefiting from the final game, will nevertheless host three
rounds of sixteen, two quarter finals, and two semi final matches.
Beyond these soccer stadiums, tourist
destinations like the Cape Winelands, Addo Elephant Park, and the stunning
Drakensberg Mountains await, where match celebrations or commiserations may be
held.
The remaining four
Stadiums Mangaung / Bloemfontein (Free State Stadium, 45,000 seats),
Rustenburg (Royal Bafokeng Stadium, 44,000 seats), Nelspruit (Mbombela Stadium,
43,000 seats), and Polokwane (Peter Mokaba Stadium, 45,000 seats) - all have
much more to offer than just two rounds of sixteen between them.
They are located near conservation
areas such as Golden Gate Highlands National Park, the legendary Rustenburg
protected areas, the Blyde River Canyon, and surrounding areas of exceptional
natural beauty, not to mention the teeming herds of game in Kruger National Park.
South Africa's FIFA World Cup 2010 is a whole lot more than the world's greatest
Soccer Tournament ever. Please visit, it is happening here, and we welcome you
to our land.
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