Egypt News

Four stadiums will receive the 2009 FIFA Confederations Cup.

Johannesburg	Pretoria (Tshwane)	Bloemfontein (Mangaung)	Rustenburg
Ellis Park	Free State	Royal Bafokeng Stadium	Loftus Versfeld
Capacity: 62,567	Capacity: 50,000	Capacity: 48,000	Capacity: 42,000

Ellis Park

Ellis Park was first built in 1928 as a rugby union stadium. It was demolished and rebuilt in 1982, again exclusively for rugby. It was named after JD Ellis, a Johannesburg city councillor who approved the use of the land for a stadium, setting aside 13 acres.

The stadium was used for the finals of the 1995 IRB Rugby World Cup. Ellis Park has also been the stage for many unforgettable football matches.
Bafana Bafana held Argentina to a 1-1 draw in 1995, and then drew 0-0 with then FIFA World Cup holders France in 2000 in international friendlies.

Currently, it is the home ground of Orlando Pirates FC, a club in the Premier Soccer League. In 1995, they were the first South African team to win the CAF African Club Championship.

The Nelson Mandela African XI played the World All Stars XI in a farewell match for the outgoing president of South Africa, Nelson Mandela.
Kalusha Bwalya, Mark Fish, Lucas Radebe and Tijani Babangida joined 'World All Stars' such as Rigoberto Song, Dunga, Luis Hernandez and Claudio Suarez in saluting a great state leader.

Ellis Park is to undergo a minor upgrade and will be ready in time for the 2009 FIFA Confederations Cup.

Free State

Mangaung/Bloemfontein will be hosting teams at the Free State Stadium, which currently seats approximately 38,000 people. The stadium derives its name from the province in which it is located.

The stadium played host to group and quarter-final matches at the CAF Africa Cup of Nations in 1996 and the IRB Rugby World Cup in 1995. It is also the alternate home ground of Premier Soccer League team, Bloemfontein Celtics.

The stadium will be undergoing a costly upgrade and once completed, will have a gross seating capacity of 48,000. The stadium will be used as a venue for the 2009 FIFA Confederations Cup.

A second tier is being added to the western pavilion, which will increase the stadium's gross capacity from approximately 38,000 to 45,000.

Royal Bafokeng Stadium

The Royal Bafokeng Sports Palace is one of the stadiums for the 2010 FIFA World Cup™. The stadium is named after the Bafokeng people who live in the area.

In 1999, the Bafokeng won a legal battle, which entitled them to 20% on the platinum which is mined on their historical land. Hence, they have shares in platinum mining in the area. Upon completion, the stadium will seat 42,000.

The South African national team played a FIFA World Cup qualifying game against Bakino Faso in 2001, and won 2-1. It has been host to many Premier Soccer League games despite Rustenburg not having its own team.

The stadium is only a 25 minute drive to Sun City and 30 minutes to the Pilansberg. It is 12 kilometers from the Rustenburg city centre.
 

Loftus Versfeld

Loftus Versfeld in the heart of Pretoria, currently has a seating capacity of 45,000. Very little upgrade is needed for the stadium to be ready for the 2010 FIFA World Cup™. It is also a venue for the 2009 FIFA Confederations Cup.

The site on which Loftus Versfeld is located was first used for sport in 1903. It was named after Mr Robert Owen Loftus Versfeld, who is attributed with establishing organised sport in Pretoria.
It has been used for numerous sports events including the 1995 Rugby World Cup and 1996 CAF Africa Cup of Nations. It is now used by Mamelodi Sundowns as their home ground.

Often simply referred to as Loftus, it has served as a venue for many international matches. South Africa achieved their first victory over a European opposition at Loftus Versfeld, beating Sweden 1-0.

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