Football is the most widely played sport in South Africa and being chosen as World Cup host has given a tremendous boost to national pride. Behind the scenes and without fanfare South Africa is on track with building new stadiums, improving transport, upgrading accommodation and security to make the 2010 FIFA World Cup an uplifting experience for all.
South Africa is not new to the planning and hosting of big events. The 1995 Rugby World Cup was an unqualified triumph, and not only because the Springboks came out tops. A year later South Africa also hosted (and won) the Africa Cup of Nations football tournament. In both cases everything went smoothly and all foreign visitors who attended went home with nothing but praise.
Two years later, the World Cup of Athletics was held in South Africa, again without negative incident and with packed stands. In 2003 we hosted the Cricket World Cup and even though our national team was not in the final, cricket fans from around the world were thrilled by the efficient organisation of the contest and the multifarious tourist attractions of the country.
The 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa is undoubtedly the biggest event yet to be coming its way. The budget allocated is in the region of 15-billion rand. The public transport system is receiving a major overhaul and with many top hotels already booked for 2010, accommodation workshops are underway to ensure that visitors are hosted comfortably and conveniently.
Stadiums
Matches will be played at the following stadiums:
| Stadium |
City |
Province |
| Soccer City (FNB Stadium) |
Johannesburg |
Gauteng |
| King Senzangakhona Stadium |
Durban |
KwaZulu-Natal |
| Peter Mokaba Stadium |
Polokwane |
Limpopo |
| Loftus Versveld Stadium |
Pretoria |
Gauteng |
| Greenpoint Stadium |
Cape Town |
Western Cape |
| Nelson Mandela Stadium |
Port Elizabeth |
Eastern Cape |
| Ellis Park Stadium |
Johannesburg |
Gauteng |
| Free State Stadium |
Bloemfontein |
Free State |
| Royal Bafokeng Stadium |
Rustenburg |
North West |
| Mbombela Stadium |
Nelspruit |
Mpumalanga |
The final, to be held at Johannesburg's Soccer City in 2010, will be a celebratory spectacle of gigantic proportions, but the ramifications of the World Cup reach beyond 2010 and beyond South Africa's borders.
One of FIFA's principles is social responsibility, stated in their mandate as, "Develop the game, touch the world and build a better future." Sustainable projects aimed at developing football and uplifting disadvantaged communities throughout the African continent will remain long after scores have been forgotten.
Regardless of which country wins the tournament, the success of the 2010 FIFA World Cup is set to place victory firmly in the hands of South Africa.
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