Soccer City Stadium (Johannesburg)
Soccer City Stadium is situated in Diepkloof near Nasrec, Johannesburg, some 10 kilometres to the south-west of the city centre (and close to the old west reef gold mines.). The stadium is the flagship venue for the Soccer World Cup 2010, and it will be hosting both the opening match and the final. Soccer City Stadium is the largest in Africa. The stadium is also known as FNB Stadium (First National Bank stadium). It is situated close to Ellis Park Stadium.
Match schedule
These are the Fifa World Cup matches being played at Soccer City Stadium:
11 Jun |
14 Jun |
17 Jun |
20 Jun |
23 Jun |
27 Jun |
2 Jul |
11 Jul |
A1 v A2 |
E1 v E2 |
B1 v B3 |
G1 v G3 |
D4 v D1 |
1B v 2A(2) |
1 v 3(A) |
WORLD CUP FINAL |
Soccer City Photos |
The stadium provides 80,000 plastic bucket seats, and has a 2 metre "moat" to protect the players from the fans.
Soccer City Stadium before the upgrading
Upgrade for Soccer World Cup 2010
The upper tier will be extended around the stadium and 99 corporate boxes added, to increase the capacity to 94,700. An encircling roof will be added, looking like a giant calabash shell (the calabash is a hollowed out plant which was commonly used to brew beer in - given South Africa's alcohol problem, the shape is probably appropriate).
New floodlights will be installed and new changing rooms will be developed. There are thoughts of increasing the capacity further to 100,000. The upgrade, which commenced in September 2006 to complete the plan started in 1989 is scheduled to be completed by April 2007.
Artist's impression of the revamped Soccer City Stadium
The roof
The final phase of the upgrade was the installation of a roof made by Hightex, a German company based in Rimsting, Bavaria. The Hightex engineers chose material for the roof produced by Verseidag, a fibers manufacturer based Krefeld, Germany. From Krefeld the material was transported to Thailand where the composite material membranes were thermally bonded into custom-built roofing panels (some 400-500 square metres each). A teflon coating is used to waterproof the roof. On completing the roof of Soccer City, many of the workers headed to Cape Town to complete the Green Point Stadium facade.
History & news
11 Jun 2010 |
South Africa's National Soccer Team, Bafana Bafana, play in the opening game of Soccer World Cup 2010. |
Oct 2009 |
Grinaker-LTA/Interbeton Soccer City Joint Venture hands over the upgraded Soccer City Stadium. |
8 Jul 2008 |
With 702 days to go until the kickoff of the Fifa World Cup 2010, Radio 702 set up a broadcast live from Soccer City, where they interviewed Mike Moody (Soccer City Project Director representing Grinaker-LTA), Phil Masinga (a former South African football player) and Pitso Mosimane (assistant coach to Bafana Bafana). |
Jun 2008 |
The first structural-steel lift for the stadium's roof. The lift was performed crane brought in from Austrian company Felbermayr, called a Lattice Boom D-Mag 2800 crane.
|
Jan 2007 |
Work begins on revamping the Soccer City stadium. |
3 February 1996 |
South Africa beat Tunisia in the final of the African Cup of Nations |
1994 |
Orlando Pirates fans set a section of the Soccer City stadium alight after their team were beaten in a league match by Kaizer Chiefs. |
1990 |
More than 100,000 people gather at Soccer City to hear the newly released Nelson Mandela call for a unified South Africa. |
1987 |
Soccer City Stadium is built. |
Orlando Pirates
Soccer City Stadium serves as the home ground for Orlando Pirates.
South African Football Association
Soccer City is home to the South African Football Association.
Headquarters for the 2010 Soccer World Cup
The headquarters for the 2010 Soccer World Cup is due to be completed (at Soccer City) by October 2006. "SAFA House will become the central nerve centre of the 2010 FIFA World Cup, hosting operations for FIFA and the South African Local Organising Committee. Meant for 250 staff members, the headquarters will be a base during the organisation and preparation of the FIFA World Cup in South Africa," FIFA said on its website. The building is planned to be 5000 square metres in size, topped off by a dome measuring 16 metres across. Beyond 2010, SAFA House is to become not only the headquarters of the South African Football Association but also the home of the Premier Soccer League.
Nearby stadiums
Ellis Park Stadium & Orlando Stadium (Soweto).
Links
References
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