With great anticipation and colorful vuvzelas (long plastic trumpets) at the ready, South Africa gets ready to host the 2010 Soccer World Cup!
This is the first time the World Cup finals will be held on the African continent and it is reported to be the biggest one yet! With 32 (maybe 36) teams taking part after qualifying at the top of their respective 160 nation league events, the opening match will kick off on the 11th June 2010 and will continue for a month with the final match taking place on the 11th July 2010.
A nation that is proud of its sport and eager to support its arrival in South Africa, are ensuring that the preparations for the event move along swiftly. Various new stadiums have been built to bring soccer to every part of the country and to the loyal fans, who would otherwise watch it on TV or listen to it on the radio. The largest stadium that has been built as the main showcase and where the opening ceremony will be held is the magnificent Soccer City in Johannesburg. There are 10 stadiums in total spanning from Polokwane in Mpumalanga to Cape Town.
Besides Soccer City, the other stadiums that will be used for 2010 are Ellis Park in Johannesburg, Royal Bafokeng Stadium in Rustenburg, North West Province, Peter Mokaba Stadium in Polokwane, Limpopo, Mbombela Stadium in Nelspruit, Mpumalanga, Loftus Versveld in Pretoria, Moses Mabhida Stadium in Durban, KwaZulu-Natal, Nelson Mandela Stadium in Port Elizabeth, Eastern Cape, Greenpoint Stadium in Cape Town, and Free State Stadium in Bloemfontein.
While some of these stadiums exists and are to be upgraded, various brand new ones are in the process of being built especially for the World Cup. Soccer City is a testimony to traditional African Pottery with its unique design and will be able to seat 104 000 fans. It will host the opening and final matches as well as various first round, second round, and quarter final matches. The Moses Mabhida Stadium in Durban is a grand design with two massive arches crossing each other over the ground. This stadium has a capacity for 70 000 people and will host various first round and second round matches as well as a semi final match. The Nelson Mandela Stadium in Port Elizabeth will have place for 50 000 fans and will be where the third place playoff is played as well as a quarter final match and some first round games. The Peter Mokaba Stadium in Polokwane will be constructed to hold 40 000 people for four first round matches. The smallest stadium, Mbombela, with 30 000 seats will be built in Nelspruit, Mpumalanga and will host first and second round matches.
Free State Stadium is an existing one, but will undergo a major revamp and upgrade of a third tier to hold a capacity of 45 000. Greenpoint Stadium in Cape Town exists but needs to undergo major construction to make it World Cup ready. It will be able to hold 70 000 fans for a quarter final and semi final match among first round matches and will have a retractable roof. Loftus Versveld will only have minor upgrades and it has a capacity of 45 000. Ellis Park also only needs minor adjustments and with a seating capacity of 60 000 will host various first round matches and a quarter final. The Royal Bafonkeng in Rustenburg will have its seating increased to 45 000.
South Africa has held various World Cups and major tournaments in other sporting arenas and there is no doubt that it can pull off a spectacular Soccer World Cup. Sports in South Africa are big business. It has from 1995 to 2007 held the Rugby World Cup which South Africa won, the African Cup of Nations which South African soccer team Bafana Bafana were handed the trophy, World Cup of Golf which the SA team emerged victorious, World Cup of Athletics where team Africa won, Cricket World Cup, President’s Cup, Women’s World Cup of Golf, A1 World Cup of Motorsport, Fina Swimming World Cup and Paralympic Swimming World Championships, Surfski World Cup in Durban and many other events.
The South African Soccer team was first united and formed in 1992 with white and black players, but after years of oppression and lack of international exposure the team lost most of their first matches. It was in 1996 when South Africa hosted the African Nations Cup that they proved their superiority on the field by beating Tunisia in the final. During this competition the nickname Bafana Bafana (the Boys) became known around the world. Another milestone was reached in 1997 when Bafana Bafana qualified for the World Cup finals for the first time. When it was announced that South Africa was to host the 2010 World Cup, the South African Football Association decided to call upon long time coach Carlos Alberto Parreira who led Brazil to victory in 1994. He has been working with the team since 2004 to get them ready for the tournament.
If you are interested in attending the World Cup matches and exploring the country at the same time, then Fifa along with the Match Hospitality group and the Department of Environmental Affairs and Tourism have put together great tour packages that you can purchase. Match has designed packages to fit every kind of budget and includes match tickets, hospitality at stadiums, hotel accommodation, transportation, catering, special access, entertainment and other tourism activities. The average pricing for packages across the spectrum is US$1, 450.
The tours have been categorized according to the amount of people included and you can purchase the Follow Your Team Series, Big Six Series, Gauteng Series, Venue Series and Final Round Series.
Prices for individuals start from $380 to $1750 for the Big Six Series and Venue Series consisting of up to 44 matches and go up to $3500 to $6000 for the Final Round Series which consist of 2 to 4 matches. Tickets will be on sale from June 2008.
For the first time in the history of the World Cup, other venues will be offered as accommodation to provide an enjoyable tournament and spoil visitors. Instead of just hotels, guest houses, lodges, game park villas, and bed and breakfasts will be contracted for accommodation. In doing this tourists are able to experience all parts of the exciting country and this is hoped will extend tourism beyond just the cities where the stadiums are.
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