FIFA World Cup is staged in Africa for the first time | South African History Online South African History Online Home » FIFA World Cup is staged in Africa for the first time FIFA World Cup is staged in Africa for the first time FIFA World Cup Trophy Friday, 11 June 2010 For the first time in the history of the Federation of International Football Association (FIFA),the World Cup was staged in Africa. Five African nations vied for the right to host the FIFA World Cup 2010 when South Africa defeated Morocco and Egypt in an all-African bidding process. The 19th FIFA World Cup began on 11 June 2010 in South Africa. The first game of the tournament was between the South African team Bafana Bafana and Mexico at Soccer City Stadium, Gauteng , with Simphiwe Tshabalala scoring the first goal of the tournament for Bafana Bafana. Italy, winner of the 2006 FIFA World Cup in Germany, was the main favourite.

During his speech the FIFA President Sepp Blatter stated that “the FIFA World Cup is in South Africa.” Blatter went on to say: “Congratulations to the African population, thank you to South Africa that we can stage this World Cup here. A dream came true even if he's not here tonight, but the spirit of Mandela is in Soccer City.” In the corridors of the football fraternity and in all spheres of politics, “1 Goal: Education for All”, was a much talked about campaign. “1 Goal: Education for All”, supported by the Global Campaign for Education and FIFA, had a large number of achievements during the football celebration with 14 million signatures, 1 million of followers every week and 100.000 yellow cards sent to international leaders. The dramatic victory of Spain over Holland saw them winning the World Cup for the first time with the goal being scored by Andres Iniesta during extra-time.

References: 2010 World Cup South Africa You are here: South Africa / South Africa Information / South Africa Attractions / 2010 World Cup in South Africa South Africa AttractionsSouth Africa 2010 Soccer World Cup In 2010, South Africa welcomed more than 3 million football fans from around the world to enjoy the planet's most popular sport being played by the top international teams. Football, also known as soccer, is a major part of South African culture - from the young boys that kick the ball around the informal settlements and rural villages to the professional sportsmen and -women that have made their mark on the world�s football scene. This event extended from 1 June to 1 July 2010, and the final was between Spain (the victors) and the Netherlands. Spain scored the only goal in extra time, making the final score 1-0. Over the course of the entire World Cup�, 64 games were played and 145 goals scored. The 2010 FIFA World Cup� meant more to South Africa than this time-honoured sport, though.

This event saw a massive rejuvenation of local resources and infrastructure, a cooperation amongst so many industries, to make it the best, most vibrant, and most efficient event of the century. As South Africans welcomed visitors and football fans from all over the globe, this country came alive with possibilities and united in the shared passion of a sport. A number of stadiums were built or revamped throughout the country in preparation, and the host cities and stadiums of the games were: South Africa 2010 World CupSouth Africa 2010 Soccer World Cup Stadiums Green Point Stadium 2010 FIFA World Cup | FIFA World Cup South Africa 2010 Wiki | Fandom powered by Wikia FIFA World Cup South Africa 2010 Wiki Share The 2010 FIFA World Cup will be the 19th FIFA World Cup , the premier international football tournament. It is scheduled to take place between 11 June and 11 July 2010 in South Africa . The 2010 FIFA World Cup will be the culmination of a qualification process that began in August 2007 and involved 204 of the 208 FIFA national teams .

As such, it matches the 2008 Summer Olympics as the sports event with the most competing nations. This will be the first time that the tournament has been hosted by an African nation, after South Africa beat Morocco and Egypt in an all-African bidding process. This decision left the Oceania Football Confederation as the only confederation yet to host the FIFA World Cup. Italy are the defending champions. The draw for the finals took place on 4 December 2009 in Cape Town . Contents Main article: FIFA World Cup hosts Africa was chosen as the host for the 2010 World Cup as part of a new policy to rotate the event among football confederations (which was later abandoned in October 2007). Five African nations placed bids to host the 2010 World Cup: Template:RSA Following the decision of the FIFA Executive Committee not to allow co-hosted tournaments, Tunisia withdrew from the bidding process. The committee also decided not to consider Libya's solo bid as it no longer met all the stipulations laid down in the official List of Requirements.

After one round of voting, the winning bid was announced by FIFA president Sepp Blatter at a media conference on 15 May 2004 in Zürich . South Africa was awarded the rights to host the tournament, defeating Morocco and Egypt. [1] Voting Results 0 Template:TUN withdrew on 8 May 2004 after joint bidding was not allowed Template:LBY bid was rejected: bid did not meet the list of requirements and joint bidding was not allowed Qualification Main article: 2010 FIFA World Cup qualification As the host nation, South Africa qualifies automatically for the tournament. However, South Africa did participate in World Cup qualifiers because the CAF qualifiers also serve as the qualifying tournament for the 2010 African Cup of Nations . They were the first host since 1934 to participate in preliminary qualifying. As happened in the previous tournament , the defending champions were not given an automatic berth, and Italy had to participate in qualification. The qualification draw for the 2010 World Cup was held in Durban, South Africa , on 25 November 2007. List of qualified teams Qualified countries in blue. For Key to the other areas, see here .

|} This is the first World Cup with no debutant associations, although two of the qualifiers ( Slovakia and Serbia ) have previously appeared only as parts of former competing nations. In both cases FIFA considers these teams to have retained the earlier nations' records. Qualification controversies Edit Controversy surrounded several of the final qualification matches in November 2009. Template:Wikinews Template:Wikinews In the second leg of the play-off between France and the Republic of Ireland French captain Thierry Henry , unseen by the referee, illegally handled the ball in the lead up to the winning goal, which saw France make the final 32 teams ahead of Ireland. The incident caused widespread debate on FIFA Fair Play, and how matches should be refereed at the highest level. The Football Association of Ireland (FAI) requested a replay on grounds of fairness, but this was denied by FIFA under the Laws of the Game . [2] A widely reported later request by Ireland to be included as an unprecedented 33rd World Cup entrant was later withdrawn by the FAI, and dismissed by the FAI as peripheral to their other more substantial petitions for change in world football made to FIFA.

[3] [4] Costa Rica also complained over Uruguay 's winning goal in the CONMEBOL–CONCACAF playoff . [5] There was crowd trouble around two matches between Egypt and Algeria , with the Algerian team bus stoned before the first in Cairo, and reports of Egyptian fans ambushed after the second in Khartoum , Sudan . Local media made lurid reports, and diplomatic relations between the countries nosedived. In response to the incidents during qualification, and to a match fixing controversy, on 2 December 2009 FIFA called for an extraordinary general meeting of their Executive Committee. After the meeting, FIFA announced that they would be setting up an inquiry into technology and extra officials in the game, but they did not announce the widely-expected move of fast-tracking the introduction of goal-line referee's assistants, already being trialled in the Europa League , and instead restated that the competition in South Africa would be officiated as before, with just one referee, two assistants, and a fourth official.

[6] On the subject of fair play, FIFA President Sepp Blatter said: Template:Quote Prize money and club payments Edit The total prize money on offer for the tournament was confirmed by FIFA as $420 million, a 60 percent increase on the 2006 tournament. [7] Before the tournament, each participating team would receive $1 million, for preparation costs. Once at the tournament, teams exiting at the group stage would receive $8 million. Thereafter, the prize money would be distributed as follows: [7] $30 million - Winners In a first for the World Cup, there would also be payments made by FIFA to the domestic clubs of the players representing their national teams at the tournament. This would see a total of €26 million being paid to domestic clubs, amounting to just over €1,000 per player per day. [8] This was the result of an agreement reached in 2008 between FIFA and European clubs to disband the G-14 and drop their claims for compensation dating back to 2005 over the financial cost of injuries sustained to their players while on international duty, such as that from Belgian club Charleroi S.C.

for injury to Morroco's Abdelmajid Oulmers in a friendly game in 2004, and from English club Newcastle United for an injury to England's Michael Owen in the 2006 World Cup . [9] [10] [11] Mascot Edit Zakumi, the mascot of the 2010 FIFA World Cup The official mascot for the 2010 FIFA World Cup is Zakumi (born Template:Birth date and age ), an anthropomorphised leopard with green hair. His name comes from "ZA", the international abbreviation for South Africa, and "kumi", a word that means "ten" in various African languages. [12] The mascot's colours reflect those of the host nation's playing strip – yellow and green. Zakumi's birthdate coincides with a day known and celebrated as Youth Day in South Africa and their second group match. The year 1994 marks the first non-racial nationwide elections in South Africa. He will turn 16 in 2010.

[13] The Zakumi's official motto is: "Zakumi's game is Fair Play." The motto was seen in the digital advertisement boards during the 2009 FIFA Confederations Cup, and it will also appear at the 2010 FIFA World Cup. [13] Template:- Match ball Main article: Adidas Jabulani Jabulani, the official match ball of the 2010 FIFA World Cup The match ball for the 2010 FIFA World Cup will be named the "Jabulani", made by Adidas , which means "bringing joy to everyone" in isiZulu . The number eleven plays a prominent role in the new technologically advanced ball: it is the eleventh World Cup match ball made by the German sports equipment maker; it features eleven colours, one for each player on the pitch; and there are eleven official languages of South Africa . Also, the event will start on the eleventh day of June and end on the eleventh day of July. [14] There have already been critics of the ball. FC Barcelona 's goalkeeper, Víctor Valdés , said: "I'm scared about the ball, it's unpredictable".

[15] Template:- Venues Template:GeoGroupTemplate In 2005, the organisers released a provisional list of thirteen venues to be used for the World Cup: Bloemfontein , Cape Town , Durban , Johannesburg (two venues), Kimberley , Nelspruit , Orkney , Polokwane , Port Elizabeth , Pretoria , and Rustenburg . This was narrowed down to ten venues [16] which were officially announced by FIFA on 17 March 2006: Template:Clear Edit The Lukasrand Tower in Pretoria sporting a football in anticipation of the world cup Five new stadiums have been built for the tournament, and five of the existing venues are to be upgraded. Construction costs are expected to be R8.4bn. [17] In addition to the stadiums being built and upgraded, South Africa is also planning to improve its current public transport infrastructure within the various cities, with projects such as the Gautrain and the new Bus Rapid Transit system (BRT) titled Rea Vaya.

[18] Danny Jordaan , the president of the 2010 World Cup organising committee, has said that he expects all stadiums for the tournament to be completed by October 2009. [19] The country is also going to implement special measures to ensure the safety and security of local and international tourists attending the matches in accordance with standard FIFA requirements, [20] including a temporary restriction of flight operation in the airspace surrounding the stadiums. [21] The readiness of this African nation to host one of the biggest events in a sports that is worshiped by millions has received positive response from FIFA. FIFA has rated the readiness of South Africa at eight on a scale of 10 [22] with the hope that they would be completely ready before the matches actually start. Construction strike Edit 70,000 construction workers [23] who were supposed to be working on the new stadiums walked off their jobs on 8 July 2009.

The majority of the workers receive R 2500 per month (about £ 192, € 224 or $ 313), but the unions allege that some workers are grossly underpaid – some receiving as little as R40 (£3.11) a week. A spokesperson for the National Union of Mineworkers said to the SABC that the "no work no pay" strike will go on until FIFA assesses penalties on the organisers. Other unions threatened to strike into 2011. The World Cup organising committee downplayed the strike and expressed confidence that the stadiums will be ready. [24] [25] [26] Transportation Edit Major road networks have been improved to cater for the expected influx of people coming to the country who will be traveling to and fro match stadiums. The Gautrain (underground rail network) will be complete in time for the opening game, but only limited lengths of the route. Major metros have also updated their current public bus systems to cater for visitors. Websites such as Vaya Nathi have been created for host city visitors to view bus route information in host cities.

Legacy Fans celebrating the forthcoming 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa ( Camps Bay , Cape Town ) During 2006 to 2007, rumours circulated in various news sources that the 2010 World Cup could be moved to another country. [32] [33] Some people, including Franz Beckenbauer , Horst R. Schmidt and, reportedly, some FIFA executives, expressed concern over the planning, organisation, and pace of South Africa's preparations. [32] [34] However, FIFA officials repeatedly expressed their confidence in South Africa as host, and stated that the event will not be moved, with FIFA president Sepp Blatter re-iterating that "Plan A... Plan B... Plan C is that the 2010 World Cup will be staged in South Africa". [35] [36] Blatter stated that there is a contingency plan to hold the World Cup elsewhere but only in the event of a natural catastrophe, and that the 2006 FIFA World Cup in Germany also had a similar contingency plan.

[36] [37] [38] Despite reassurances by FIFA that the event would only be moved in the case of natural catastrophe, rumours continued to circulate about possible relocation of the event. [39] These rumours were criticised by South Africa's Deputy Finance Minister Jabu Moleketi , saying that some have targeted the event to reflect their persistent negativity towards South Africa and Africa. [40] Controversies Edit As with many 'hallmark events' throughout the world, [41] the 2010 FIFA World Cup has been connected to evictions [42] [43] [44] which many claim are meant to 'beautify the city', impress visiting tourists, and hide shackdwellers. On 14 May 2009, Durban-based shack-dwellers took the KwaZulu-Natal government to court over their controversial Elimination and Prevention of Re-Emergence of Slums Act , meant to eliminate slums in South Africa and put homeless shackdwellers in transit camps in time for the 2010 World Cup.

[45] [46] They have gained a lot of publicity for their efforts even in the international media. [47] [48] [49] Another prominent controversy surrounding preparations for the World Cup is the N2 Gateway housing project in Cape Town , which plans to remove over 20,000 residents from Joe Slovo Informal Settlement along the busy N2 Freeway and build rental flats and bond houses in its place in time for the 2010 World Cup. [50] The residents would be moved to the poverty stricken Delft township on the outskirts of the city and out of sight from the N2 Freeway. [51] [52] [53] There has been particular concern about forced removals to the Blikkiesdorp camp in Delft and that, in Durban , children are being forcibly removed from the city centre. [54] In July 2009, South Africa was hit with rolling protests by poor communities who demanded access to basic services, jobs, adequate housing and the democratisation of service delivery.

These protests have been linked to the World Cup as protesters complain that public funds are being diverted away from social issues to build stadiums and upgrade airports. [55] [56] Fears have been expressed that the growing protests by shack dwellers could result in the tournament being disrupted. [57] [58] Some grassroots social movements have called for a boycott of the event. [59] Blikkiesdorp Template:See also Blikkiesdorp has become well-known for its high crime rate, its substandard living conditions, and its extremely hot or cold, windy and sandy living environment. [60] [61] [62] [63] NGOs, international human rights organisations, and the Anti-Eviction Campaign have publicly criticised the conditions in Blikkiesdorp and how they say it is used to reinforce the eviction of poor families especially to make way for the 2010 FIFA World Cup. [64] [65] [66] Residents have also threatened to burn down Blikkiesdorp before the World Cup begins because of the bad conditions in the settlement.

[67] Crime and Security Edit Tournament organiser Danny Jordaan dismissed concerns that the terrorist attack on the Togo national team which took place in Angola in January 2010, had any relevance to the security arrangements for the World Cup. [68] South Africa and others have expressed concerns that the World Cup will stimulate and be a boon to the illicit sex trade . [69] [70] [71] Non-FIFA events Edit In November 2009 it was reported that a rugby Test match between the Springboks and France scheduled to take place in Cape Town on the 12th June 2010 would be moved to Europe due to FIFA regulations banning other sport events in host cities during the time of the World Cup. [72] After negotiations between the South African Rugby Union and members of the local organising committee, it was announced that the Test will be allowed to take place in Cape Town on the originally scheduled date because no World Cup match is to be played in Cape Town on that day, and the Test will be played at Newlands , which is not a World Cup venue.

[73] [74] FIFA Trademarks Edit Kulula.com were ordered by FIFA it to withdraw an advertisement that it claimed infringed on their trademarks. [75] The advert, titled "The unofficial carrier of the you-know-what", features soccer balls, vuvuzelas and the National Flag of South Africa which FIFA claims when used in conjunction with each other constitutes a infringement of its trademarks. [76] Kulula.com disputed FIFA's claim, [77] but later announced that they would withdraw the specific advert whilst continuing with the advertisement campaign. [78] Filming Edit Sony technology will be used to film the games. According to FIFA up to 25 of the games will be captured using 3D cameras. [79] It will be supplying its flagship HDC-1500 cameras as well as its new HDC-P1 unit, a compact, point-of-view (POV)-type camera with a 2/3-inch lens. The 3D games will be produced for FIFA by Host Broadcast Services . [80] Final Draw Edit Template:See also The FIFA Organising Committee approved the procedure for the Final Draw on 2 December 2009.

The seeding was based on the October 2009 FIFA World Ranking and seven squads joined hosts South Africa as seeded teams for the Final Draw. The committee also approved the composition of the other pots as well as the procedure for the final draw. Pot 2 was composed of teams from Asia, Oceania, and North and Central America and the Caribbean. Pot 3 included teams from Africa and South America. Pot 4 had the remaining European teams. Hosts South Africa was automatically positioned as A1; the other seeded teams were drawn into the other groups B–H, but were always in position 1 of their group. Groups were drawn from A to H and the positions in the group were drawn for Pots 2 to 4. Geographical criteria also were respected, meaning that no two teams from the same confederation were drawn in the same group (except European teams, where a maximum of two will be in a group); i.e., South Africa cannot play the African teams from Pot 3 and Argentina and Brazil cannot be drawn against the three remaining South American teams. The first two African teams drawn from Pot 3 are placed with Argentina and Brazil.

Similarly, hosts South Africa may not be paired with any of the other African nations (also placed in Pot 3). [81] Pot 1 (Host & Top seven) Pot 2 (Asia, North America & Oceania) Pot 3 (Africa & South America) Pot 4 (Europe) World Cup 2010: FIFA Revenue Tops A Billion Dollars For The First Time - Goal.com World Cup 2010: FIFA Revenue Tops A Billion Dollars For The First Time Featured Mar 22, 2010 8:15:31 AM The money keeps rolling in for world football's governing body. The World Cup in South Africa has helped FIFA's revenues past the billion dollar mark for the first time, world football's governing body revealed this weekend. "We are very confident... not only confident but very proud, that we can deliver the World Cup to Africa and that Africa can deliver the World Cup to the world," president Sepp Blatter said at a press conference after a two-day FIFA executive committee meeting. FIFA, a non profit-making organisation, said it had made a $196 million surplus in 2009, as revenues soared to $1.06 billion.

"For the first time our turnover in one year has been more than one billion dollars," Blatter told the press. "The market trusts South Africa," he added, referring to lucrative television and marketing deals in the years running up to the first ever finals to be staged in Africa, which kick off on June 11. "What'll be a little more expensive is the organisation but it's worth it," said Blatter. Officials said the growing revenues were largely down to strong sales of commercial rights despite the recession, which seemed to be the main factor in lower ticket sales thus far, but FIFA and South African government officials believe that the stadiums will be full in June and July this year. FIFA profits are redistributed to its 208 member associations and development projects. Become a fan of Goal.com USA's Facebook fan page for all the latest news and insight into everything related to the beautiful game World Cup 2010 - Wikitravel World Cup 2010 Jump to: navigation , search World Cup 2010: This event has closed and is no longer open to the public. The next FIFA World Cup will be held in Brazil in 2014.

Map of South African Venues This article is a travel topic The 2010 Fifa World Cup will be held in South Africa between the 11th June and 11th July 2010. It will be the first time the tournament is staged in Africa . Soccerex conventions 2007 to 2009 will also be moved from Dubai to Gauteng . Contents Prepare[ edit ] Did you know? Liverpool's Kop End at Anfield was named after Spioenkop (Spy Hill) in KwaZulu-Natal . The Lancashire Brigade comprised the largest part of the British Forces during the Battle of Spioenkop and when they returned to Britain the earth mound at Anfield (used by spectators to get a clear view of the game, before any of the stands were built) reminded them of Spioenkop Visas[ edit ] The South African Department of Home Affairs, +27 (0)12 810 8911, have details on visa requirements. Many nationalities are exempt for visa requirements. It is advisable that, if you require a visa, you apply for it with time to spare.

Home Affairs are sure to be flooded with visa requests at the last moment and turnaround times may be longer than normal. Tickets[ edit ] Tickets will be made available by FIFA from the 20th February, 2009 via their website, and information will be posted here. Ticket prices for round of 16 matches range between US$ 100 to $ 200 pp (ZAR 700 to ZAR 1400). Plan on buying tickets early; fact being 2-3 million fans are expected to show up. FIFA gives accreditations for Official Travel Agencies (OTA's) across the globe to sell packages that include guaranteed tickets. This includes experienced, highly reputable international companies such as Thomson Sport in the UK and Cartan Tours and Great Atlantic Travel in the USA. Accommodation[ edit ] Best to plan your stay and book early. June/July when the games are held is also one of South Africa 's school holiday periods. Not only will you be competing for accommodation with a larger than normal number of international visitors, you will also have local holiday makers to contend with.

Cape Town , and to a slightly lesser extend Durban , is especially popular as a holiday destination for people from Gauteng at this time of year. A number of the venues are not generally regarded as tourist destinations and do not have the infrastructure to accommodate large numbers of visitors. It might be cheaper and easier to find accommodation a bit further afield and travel to the matches. You can, for example, quite easily drive from Pretoria to Rustenburg to watch a match and be back in Pretoria for dinner. By air[ edit ] South Africa has 10 airports that act as international ports of entry to the country. The larger and most used are OR Tambo International Airport in Johannesburg and Cape Town International Airport Prior to and during the World Cup, a number of additional international flights may also be scheduled to some of the other international airports. A new airport has been opened for Durban , King Shaka International Airport , 30km north of Durban. By train[ edit ] Gautrain, South Africa 80-kilometre mass rapid transit railway system in Gauteng Province, South Africa that will link Johannesburg, Pretoria, and OR Tambo International Airport.

Gautrain Network The Gautrain rail network will be 80 kilometers long. Gautrain is connected to other forms of public transport: Taxis Buses Current Metrorail public train system Traveling at a speed of 160 kilometers per hour, Gautrain will only take 40 minutes to travel between Johannesburg and Pretoria, but this link will not be finished for 2010. From Sandton to the OR Tambo International Airport it will only take 10 to 20 minutes. Commuters on this route can check in their luggage at the Sandton Station before arriving at OR Tambo International Airport. The cost for traveling on the Johannesburg/Pretoria route will be between R13.00 and R29.00, depending on distance. The cost of traveling to a station with the Gautrain Bus Link will be between R4.00 and R11.00. Gautrain Stations There will be security cameras and security guards on patrol in the stations and the parking areas. Only passengers who have an electronic ticket will have access to Gautrain?s stations and the parking areas.

Motorists can travel to the stations and leave their cars at the safe parking bays that are being built at the stations. Parking at the station could cost around R6.00 a day. Ten station locations have been identified: Johannesburg Park Station - (underground station) Rosebank - (underground station) South African commuters busses: Golden Arrow Long distance bus services in South Africa: Greyhound Citiliner Translux MegaBus By car[ edit ] For distances up to about 400km, a rental car generally your best option as public transport is limited and a car will give you the most freedom to go where you want when you want. The road infrastructure in South Africa is generally very good. The section on road travel on the main South Africa entry will give you a lot more detailed information.

Host cities[ edit ] Free State Stadium, Bloemfontein Current Greenpoint stadium in Cape Town , will be demolished to make way for the new African Renaissance Stadium Loftus Versfeld in Pretoria Soccer City in Johannesburg receiving a facelift Royal Bafokeng Stadium in Rustenburg Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium in Port Elizabeth The following cities will play host to matches during the tournament: Venues[ edit ] Free State Stadium, Corner Att Horak Ave and 1st Avenue, Bloemfontein (From the N1 take the Nelson Mandela Ave (N8) offramp and follow this (''will become Zastron Str'') until 1st Ave, turn right into 1st Ave and follow this until Att Horak Ave, turn right and the stadium is on your right.). Capacity: 40,000. A rather old (1952) stadium being upgraded. edit African Renaissance Stadium, Greenpoint, Cape Town. Capacity: 70,000. A new stadium under construction. edit Moses Mabhida Stadium. (King's Park), Jacko Jackson Drive, Durban, [3] . Capacity: 70,000.

An new stadium that will replace King's Park Stadium. edit Soccer City, Nasrec Road, Nasrec, Johannesburg, ☎ +27 (0)11 494-3640, [4] . Capacity: 94,700. An existing stadium being upgraded from a capacity of 90,000. edit Ellis Park, Staib St, Doornfontein, Johannesburg (From the M1, take exit 13B Johannesburg (''M31 Harrow road''), follow this to Currey St where you turn right. The stadium will be in front of you), ☎ +27 (0)11 402-8644. Capacity: 60,000. An existing stadium being upgraded from a capacity of 55,000. Ellis Park is the cultural home of South African Rugby. edit Mbombela Stadium, Nelspruit. Capacity: 40,000 (Under construction) edit Peter Mokaba Stadium, Polokwane. New stadium. Capacity: 45, 000.

Building started April 2007 and is expected to be completed in March 2009. edit Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium, Port Elizabeth. (Under construction) edit Loftus Versfeld Stadium, Kirkness st, Pretoria (From the N1, take exit 141 Pretoria (''M6 Lynnwood road'') towards Pretoria city center. Follow Lynnwood until Kirkness St where you turn right. The stadium is on your right). Capacity: 50,000 edit Royal Bafokeng Stadium, Rustenburg (From the N4, take the R24 offramp towards Rustenburg city. Turn left to continu on the R104. North of town, turn right into R565 towards Sun City, after 5km on your right hand side.). Capacity: 40,000 edit An unofficial self-updating Google Earth Placemark is available for those travelers who want to see where the stadiums are. Screens[ edit ] Cool Britannia, Cape Town International Convention Center - where to view games when you can't be at the stadium (On the Paarl, Simon’s Town or Strand lines look out for Cool Britannia Trains.), [5] .

11am - 4am. Capacity: 10,000 edit Buy[ edit ][ add listing ] Take care not to pay exuberant prices for counterfeit 2010 World Cup merchandise. The SA Revenue Service reported on January 27, 2007 that they have already confiscated more than R2 million worth of counterfeit goods displaying the 2010 logo. The goods included kit bags, football balls and socks. Oriental Plaza, Johannesburg, [6] . An Oriental market place where you will probably find those club shirts, scarves, hats and flags that you forgot to pack. edit Do[ edit ][ add listing ] South Africa is a country with many things to do apart from watching the soccer: Go on Safari - All of the Big Five can be seen in natural surroundings in South Africa. The biggest and most famous safari park in the country (and possibly the world) is The Kruger National Park (located to the north east of Nelspruit , on the border with Mozambique and Zimbabwe ), although one downside is that it is so large that it requires several days to see the whole park.

Addo Elephant National Park (near Port Elizabeth ) is a smaller alternative, although you won't see lions, and Hluhluwe-Umfolozi Park (near Durban ) is another good park. Also see National Parks and African fauna and flora for more information. Surf at one of South Africa's many world-class surfing spots. J Bay , Durban , Plett ... Check out South Africa's colourful past - Robben Island , township tours... Birdwatching From a mobile phone[ edit ] 112 - Emergency Stay healthy[ edit ] Use sunscreen, wear a hat, drink lots of liquids. June/July is the middle of winter in South Africa , but temperatures can still be quite high during the day and you may suffer from sunburn when out in the open for extended periods of time. This is especially true for the Highveld ( Johannesburg , Pretoria , Rustenburg ) and northern venues ( Nelspruit and Polokwane ). Also see the section on sunburn and sun protection . Stay informed[ edit ] Local media will from time to time carry articles about stadium progress, infrastructure upgrades and possible problems.

Newspapers 2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa™ - HBS Host Broadcast Services / 2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa™ 2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa™ The 2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa™ was a landmark occasion for HBS – as it introduced the world to 3D sports broadcasting – but also for the event itself, marking the first time that the competition had been staged in Africa. Taking the tournament to a new and unfamiliar environment presented fresh challenges and ensured it was a job for specialists. However, with a solid Production Plan and a wealth of experience developed over two previous FIFA World Cup™ missions it was a task tailor-made for HBS. On a broadcast level, the integration of 3D into the Production Plan was a large step forward into the unknown – and a task that had a challenging lead time of just five months for preparation. Fortunately, the decision to go ahead with 3D followed HBS’ involvement in a series of major technological breakthroughs and successful trials over the prior two years. As a result, the FIFA World Cup™ was once again able to drive broadcast innovation, supported by the technical know-how of Sony and HBS.

Facts & Figures Cumulative audience of 26 billion 290 HD broadcast cameras 2,750 hours of feeds produced by HBS 30,000 m² IBC World Cup 2010: South Africa leaves a World Cup legacy to remember | Owen Gibson | Football | The Guardian Sportblog World Cup 2010: South Africa leaves a World Cup legacy to remember The crime and crumbling stadiums that doom-mongers warned of failed to materialise, but Fifa has lessons to learn about tickets Fans enjoy the atmosphere in Soccer City ahead of the World Cup final. Photograph: Clive Mason/Getty Images Monday 12 July 2010 10.07 EDT First published on Monday 12 July 2010 10.07 EDT Share on Messenger Close Anyone underestimating the scale of South Africa's achievement need only spend a few minutes wading through the acres of press coverage over the past six years predicting failure on an epic scale. There were predictions that the stadiums would not be ready on time, that visiting fans would be taking their lives into their hands and a wave of stories that Fifa would be forced to turn to a "plan B".

Even a few months before the tournament the Daily Star warned of a "machete race war" on the streets of South Africa. By the end of the group stages, the Fifa secretary general Jerome Valcke felt secure enough to joke that South Africa had been so successful that it would become "plan B" for all future tournaments. There were undoubtedly some teething problems and some of the more ambitious pre-tournament claims were so grandiose they could not possibly be met by what remains – despite all that is loaded on to it by Fifa, politicians and others – a football tournament. But there can be few who would now contradict the chief executive Danny Jordaan's assertion that, off the pitch at least, South Africa delivered a unique and memorable World Cup and that "the doubters are the believers today". Stadiums From Cape Town's stunningly located Green Point to the daring of Durban's Moses Mabhida arch and the scale of Soccer City, standing alone on the outskirts of Soweto, the 10 stadiums some claimed would not be ready on time were universally praised. The debate will go on about the procurement processes, the overspends and the legacy benefits but they provided a fitting stage.

What will happen now is less clear, with all passing to new operating companies. The prospects of remote stadiums in Rustenburg or Nelspruit being filled on a regular basis must be slim. Even in Cape Town and Durban, ensuring a vibrant, viable future largely depends on persuading the local rugby clubs to move from their long-standing, much-loved homes. Jordaan remains hopeful that they will do so, given the obvious commercial benefits. Security In the face of extreme cynicism, police and the local organising committee were almost entirely vindicated in their insistence that this would be a World Cup free of serious crime or disorder. For all the concerns in a country where the statistics make for horrific reading, the suspicion they would succeed by flooding public areas with 41,000 dedicated police proved more prescient than those who foresaw a doomsday scenario. That alone, in terms of helping change the perceptions of potential return visitors, will be worth its weight in gold in terms of tourism and inward investment. If anything, the clampdown went too far the other way, with the South African authorities going overboard in their desire to please Fifa.

Specially convened World Cup courts were largely empty, attracting headlines only for the severity of the sentences imposed on a sometimes bizarre and pathetic parade of miscreants – including the two Dutch women accused of orchestrating a high-profile ambush marketing stunt and Pavlos Joseph, the England dressing-room "invader" . More serious were concerns that disputes between stewards and their employers over pay could escalate into violent clashes. With swift, if brutal, effectiveness the police took control of stewarding in six of the biggest stadiums. If their sense of direction was sometimes erratic, their sheer volume ensured there were no serious issues apart from petty thefts. Transport In the opening days, transport looked like the one issue that might trip up organisers in spectacular fashion. Gridlock around Johannesburg left Soccer City with thousands of empty seats for the opening ceremony. Long-held concerns about the difficulty of ferrying thousands of fans to remote locations such as Rustenburg were borne out as large queues formed. Although there were still legitimate grumbles to be heard as the tournament progressed, teething troubles were largely ironed out as the event went on.

In a large country with little cross-country public transport network, getting around was always going to compare unfavourably to Japan and South Korea's bullet trains or Germany's supremely efficient network. The most serious issues were before last week's semi-final between Germany and Spain, where hundreds of fans faced a tortuous journey to the match as the airport in Durban struggled to cope with the volume of flights coming in. Tickets/sponsorship Fifa has admitted that lessons need to be learned for 2014. The global economic slump, combined with a pricing model which presupposed that an African World Cup could be as lucrative as a European one, left Fifa scrambling to avoid embarrassment. A rearguard action to belatedly make more cheaper tickets available to locals and overhaul the sales system just about did enough. But empty seats were evident throughout the group stages and even at some of the knockout matches. It became a favoured pastime to note the point at which thousands of yellow jacketed volunteers would flood into the stands to fill empty spaces at some matches. Fifa blamed no-shows and problems with distribution of batches of group tickets. Even more noticeable were the sparsely populated hospitality boxes.

Fifa did not lose out because Match, the controversial outfit that has been involved at every World Cup since 1986 but this time signed a contract to resell hospitality for the 2010 and 2014 World Cups, had already paid upfront for the resale rights. Match failed to make a profit on the South African tournament after setting prices too high and falling victim to slashed budgets. By the end a total attendance of 3.18 million ensured that 92.9% of seats were filled, at an average of 49,670 per game. Fifa and organisers were still able to claim the third biggest total attendance in the wake of the worst global recession since the 1930s. If Fifa and Match have learned some hard lessons about the way that tickets are sold, how they are priced and just how far they can push corporate customers then so much the better. And despite the recession, pre-sold TV rights and sponsorship made this the most profitable World Cup ever for Fifa, which banked $3.2bn before it had even kicked off.

The commercial reasoning behind its drive to take the World Cup to new continents was underlined by a revamped sponsorship strategy that saw a string of names unfamiliar to western eyes from China, Brazil and elsewhere representing a new wave of brands prepared to pour money into Fifa's coffers. Atmosphere No one who was in South Africa for the weekend of the opening game, or witnessed the hysteria that greeted the Bafana Bafana pre-tournament parade, can say organisers failed to rally the nation. The debate about the ubiquitous honk of the vuvuzela remains but it will always be synonymous with the first African World Cup. And despite Bafana Bafana going down with dignity in the group stages, the nation rallied behind Ghana instead. Such is the chasm between rich and poor in South Africa that there were undoubtedly parts of the population, particularly outside big cities, who remained largely untouched by the World Cup. Yet many of those most enthusiastic about the tournament were never going to be able to afford a ticket. Hearteningly, the country made the World Cup its own, loosening the straitjacket that Fifa imposes on its flagship event.

From the hawkers selling flags at street corners to students wearing "Fick Fufa" T-shirts, there was a healthy disrespect for the owners of the World Cup "brand" even as they celebrated its arrival. While the international fan fests, held for the first time in iconic locations around the world and attended by more than 4 million, were deemed a success the picture was more mixed in South Africa. Some remained sparsely populated except for matches involving the home team as spectators blanched at having to pay over the top prices for "official" food and drink and instead gathered at alternative big screen sites or simply watched at home or in bars. Inside stadiums, while the atmosphere was electric at some matches, at others it suffered from a combination of empty seats, an eclectic mix of ticket holders or the fact that many of the South Africans in the stadium were fairly new to the game. In its own way, that too can be chalked up as a success by organisers who were hoping to introduce the wealthy, mainly white middle classes to the sport. It was hard to find many overseas visitors with negative words for the hosts, save for the odd grumble over prices or transport, with the warmth of the welcome and infectious enthusiasm almost universally praised.

On the pitch, the quality of the football may have been variable and tended towards sterile at times – but that is the one thing the organisers cannot control. Legacy Organisers have loaded much on to this World Cup in terms of the legacy it will leave, while critics have been equally vociferous in complaining about the priority placed on the tournament when there are so many other pressing priorities. But after all the rhetoric and bitter argument, the government said the economic boost to the country (38bn rand) would roughly equal the outlay. Around 130,000 jobs were created – but many of those were temporary construction jobs. Given the extent to which spin-off legacy benefits have begun to dominate the rhetoric of the bidding process for so-called "mega-events", the forensic spotlight on South Africa is likely to remain for some time. Organisers have spoken at length about the "nation building" potential of the World Cup, and this was proved to be far more than empty rhetoric as South Africans came together in a national sense of near-hysteria. The fear must be that it will prove to have been temporary but its effect should not be dismissed. Significant infrastructure improvements have demonstrably been delivered.

But the most persuasive argument deployed by Jordaan and the government was that successfully delivering the World Cup would help change perceptions of the country and the continent. That they have surely done. They hope to align South Africa with other emerging economies such as China, Brazil and India and cementing a perception of South Africa as a country that can deliver on its promises can only help.

Question: The 2010 FIFA World Cup will be staged where?
Answer: South Africa