Following a week-long tour of four cities in South Africa, Inas Mazhar believes the country that will host next year's Confederations Cup and the 2010 World Cup is up to the mammoth task Nine cities and 10 stadiums will play host to the participating teams during both the 2009 Confederations Cup and the 2010 World Cup. However, we in the media only had the chance to visit five 2010 stadiums, four of which will be hosting the Confederations Cup in June. According to SALOC CEO Danny Jordan the four stadiums allocated for the FIFA Confederations Cup 2009 will be finished by the end of this year, on exactly 31 December. The stadiums are the Loftus Versfeld Stadium in Pretoria, the Ellis Park Stadium in Johannesburg, the Mangaung Stadium in Bloemfontein and the Royal Bafokeng Stadium in Rustenburg. The Soccer City Stadium, which is scheduled to host the opening and closing ceremonies of the 2010 World Cup, will finish by the end of 2009. So far, South Africa has met all the FIFA requirements in building new stadiums and renovating old ones. The stadiums, though unfinished, look gorgeous and are of a world-class level which should make Africa proud. But as observed by the media on the tour, the four Confederations Cup stadiums, except Soccer City, are not completely finished. Project directors declared that 80 per cent to 90 per cent of the work is already done and what is left are the finishing touches. However, what remains produced doubts among the media members that one month was enough to deliver the goods. "When we say it will be finished and submitted to FIFA by 31 December, we mean the grounds, pitch, stands, changing rooms, actually everything. What remain will be small things like the surroundings, cleaning up, testing and fixing. When the FIFA general secretary visits he can say 'change this door or this carpet'. There will be few changes, but the whole project will be finished as planned and according to our contract with FIFA," Jordan said. FIFA General Secretary Jerome Valcke agreed with Jordan. "We are satisfied with how everything has been going in the construction of the new stadiums and the renovation of the old ones. Accordingly, I can say that we are confident the stadiums will be fully ready by the beginning of both championships." The Confederations Cup venues and stadiums Tshwane/Pretoria Though geographically situated a mere 50km north of Johannesburg, Pretoria is nevertheless worlds away from the hustle and bustle of Johannesburg. The historic buildings, green parks and gardens make it a breathtakingly beautiful city, especially in the spring months of October and November when the jacaranda trees are covered in a profusion of purple blooms. There are an estimated 50,000 jacarandas in the city today. As the administrative capital of the country, the city of Tshwane also has an international feel to it, thanks to the presence of the many embassies and consulates, as well as the numerous up- market restaurants and night spots. The visit also included the Union Buildings, a long string of Renaissance-style stone buildings housing government offices, including the office of the state president. Inspired by the Acropolis in Athens, the Union Buildings are on a hilltop, commanding some of the finest views in the city. Loftus Versefeld Stadium The Loftus Versfeld Stadium is home of Sundowns FC, winners of the 2007/08 SAA Supa 8 and 2007/08 Nedbank Cup, as well as the teams of Sport United and Kaizer Chiefs. Before being renovated, the stadium was a rugby stadium and hosted the Rugby World Cup in 1995. The 50,000-seat stadium is worth about $12 million of renovation which started in September 2007. It was named after a rugby official. The stadium has hosted famous international football clubs the likes of FC Barcelona, Manchester United and Tottenham. Johannesburg They call it the City of Gold, a hub of entertainment and commerce in South Africa. In this city the World Cup will kick-off and end because it is Africa's most cosmopolitan city. In this city you can hear 11 official languages while rubbing shoulders with resident communities from all over the world. Johannesburg, or Joburg as South Africans call it, provides a rich selection of attractions and activities for football fans. It is also known as the city of forests as it includes six million trees in Johannesburg alone. Ellis Park Stadium Ellis Park Stadium became the first black owned stadium in South Africa. The Golden Lions Rugby Union passed on the management of Ellis Park Precinct to Interza Lesego, Orlando Pirates FC and Ellis Park Stadium Limited. The stadium is one of the selected stadia for the Confederations Cup as well as the FIFA World Cup 2010. The 61,000-seat stadium was upgraded as of July 2007 and renovations cost $ 23 million. Soccer City Stadium It is situated in Nasrec, some 8km from the south-west of the city centre. The stadium has a budget of $200 million. Construction started in January 2007 and will finish by the end of 2009. For South Africa, Soccer City Stadium is the flagship venire for the World Cup, and it will be hosting both the opening and final matches. With a capacity of 94,700 spectators, Soccer City is the largest stadium in Africa. Rustenberg Rustenburg offers the perfect stepping stone to exploring the fantastic North West province- home to ancient 'lost cities', game reserves and so much more. Translated as 'town of rest', tranquil Rustenburg, some 115km from Johannesburg, lies in the western foothills of the beautiful Magaliesberg Mountains of the North West province. Rustenburg operates at an apparently slower pace than the buzzing metropolis of neighbouring Johannesburg. It serves a large and booming platinum mining industry and a farming community that produces grain, tobacco, fruit and vegetables. Bafokeng Stadium The Royal Bafokeng Sport Palace was opened in 1999 and was completely funded by the Royal Bafokeng community (an administrative entity presiding over the world's richest platinum mines). Besides hosting the Confederations Cup, the 42,000 stadium will host five first round and one second round match at the World Cup. Renovations started in September 2007 and are worth $14.7 million. Bloemfontein Bloemfontein is the sixth largest city in the country with a population of just under one million people. The city is fondly known as 'the city of roses' and is the judicial capital of South Africa. The city is the hub of the Free State province, a place of wide- open spaces and honest to goodness South African hospitality. The name Bloemfontein means 'a spring of flowers'. It is an active town, and sports and sporting activities are high on the priority list of the majority of residents. So the advent of the 2010 World Cup is a major highlight on everyone's calendar. Hanging out with the locals is a must because people still believe in old-fashioned hospitality and traditions. Free State Stadium Besides hosting the Confederations Cup, the Free State Stadium has been earmarked for first and second round matches for the World Cup. The stadium is busy with a $22 million upgrade and on completion will be able to host 46,000 people.
