World Cup 2010: Stadiums – Part 5
This is the last in my series of posts about the stadiums that are to be used in the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa. I hope you all have found this quite interesting. Today we will be covering 2 more stadiums, 1 in Nelspruit (in Mpumalanga province) and 1 in Pretoria (the capital of South Africa).
Here are few more facts about South Africa:
- The country gained independence from Great Britain on the 31st of May 1961.
- More than 70% of South Africans live in urban / metropolitan areas.
- A South Africa, Dr Chris Barnard was responsible for the first successful heart transplant in history.
- The swimming pool vacuum cleaner (generally referred to as the Kreepy Krauly) was invented by Ferdinand Chauvier, a hydraulics engineer who came to South Africa from the Belgian Congo in 1951.
- Pratley’s famous glue is the only South African invention that has been to the moon. In 1969 the putty was used to hold bits of the Apollo XI mission’s Eagle landing craft together.
Mbombela Stadium: This stadium is one of the newly-built stadiums for the 2010 FIFA World Cup. The Mbombela stadium takes it’s name from the local municipality which incorporates the city of Nelspruit in the Mpumalanga province of South Africa. Mbombela means “many people together in a small space.” The Mbombela stadium has a seating capacity of 46,000. The signature feature of the stadium are the 18 roof supports that resemble giraffes. The multi-purpose stadium is expected to host key soccer and rugby matches in the future and will also be equipped for conferences. The Mbombela stadium will host 4 first round matches in the 2010 FIFA World Cup. It’s located 7 km from the Nelspruit city center and 12 km from the Kruger-Mpumalanga Airport. The stadium is also within driving distance from a few game parks and other tourist attractions. Before the construction of the Mombela Stadium Nelspruit had no top football venue to host international matches. Nelspruit is a buzzling city with more than 220,000 inhabitants. Nelspruit is situated 330 km East of Johannesburg. Nelspruit was founded in 1905. The city is a major stopover point for tourists travelling to the Kruger National Park and to Mozambique.
Related Links:
Nelspruit, Mpumalanga – Wikipedia
Mbombela Stadium, Nelspruit – SA Venues
Loftus Versfeld Stadium: This stadium needs no introduction in South Africa. It’s situated in the heart of South Africa’s capital city, Pretoria / Tshwane. The stadium was first known as the Eastern Sports Ground. In 1932, Robert Owen Loftus Versfeld, a sports administrator, suffered a heart attack on the Eastern stand and died. In tribute to him, the stadium was renamed. Loftus Versfeld stadium has been used for major sporting events in South Africa since the early 1900s. It’s one of the oldest sport stadiums in South Africa and has been upgraded more than once over the years. The stadium has a seating capacity of 50,000. Loftus Versfeld stadium was slightly upgraded before the 2009 FIFA Confederations Cup. A roof was added over the Eastern pavilion. Loftus Versveld stadium was a key venue in the 1995 Rugby World Cup and the 1996 African Cup of Nations. The stadium is currently the home of the Blue Bulls rugby team (2007 and 2009 Super 14 champions), Supersport United FC and Mamelodi Sundowns FC (teams in the PSL in South Africa). Pretoria / Tshwane is situated 50 km from Johannesburg and has a population of more than 2.3 million.
Related Links:
Pretoria – Wikipedia
Loftus Versfeld – The Stadium Guide
