Soccer City

When South Africa was first chosen to be the host of this year’s biggest world soccer event, the 2010 World Cup, a lot of skeptics are openly questioning the nation’s readiness to be the host. Soccer City answered all those doubts and skepticism with a huge statement: we are ready!

Soccer City is a football-specific stadium located in Soweto area of Johannesburg. It is actually located next to the South African Football Association or SAFA House, and it is also very close to another stadium, the Coca-Cola Park. Soccer City has a capacity of 91,141, and noted to be the largest in Africa.

The Soccer City will hold the opening match South Africa vs. Mexico. It will also host four more first-round matches, one second-round match, one quarter-final, and of course the grand finale. If you notice the unique exterior design of this stadium, it actually resembles a calabash, an African pot. At night, you will see how the shield on the outside is forming a mosaic of fire and earthen colors. A ring of lights are running around the bottom of the structure to simulating fire underneath the pot.

Large teams such as Netherlands, Argentina, Brazil, Denmark, and Germany are scheduled to play at the Soccer City during the World Cup playoff matches. The fact that Soccer City will also host the final match and the World Cup opening as well as closing ceremonies are simply not unexpected, especially because the stadium has all the needed capabilities to host world events.