South Africa’s first ever victory over a European side happened at this stadium when they beat Sweden in 1999. This time round the Bafana Bafana have the opportunity to get a notable win in the nation’s capital against the ever wily Uruguayans. All in three African teams play here, with the Algerians taking on the USA and Ghana playing Serbia.
This large open, airy stadium has been used for sporting events since 1903 and has been upgraded frequently since, most recently in 2008 when it was brought up to its current standard with new floodlights, a sound system and roof. Despite these upgrades there is very limited shade on offer so a visit to this stadium might be a sweaty experience for some of the earlier kick-offs.
The venue remains the home ground of Mamelodi Sundowns and SuperSport United, as well as the Blue Ball Rugby team, who will all benefit from the refit after the tournament.
It is handily located in the centre of town.
City: Pretoria/Tshwane
Construction: Upgraded
Complete: 2008
Official Capacity: 49,365
The Locale : The District
Tshwana or Pretoria is the capital of South Africa, the former the name of the larger metropolitan area within which the city of Pretoria sits. Just fifty kilometres from Johannesburg in the province of Gauteng, it houses a significant diplomatic community and an ever growing bank of civil servants.
Despite a relatively lively history this sleepy town took a while to grow, surviving the Boer war with little more than surface damage.
It took on a far more sinister edge when apartheid came in and the city became synonymous with cruelty and injustice. With draconian rules and regulations making lives for millions of blacks unbearable, the place where these originated from was understandably despised. Nelson Mandela’s inauguration helped turn a corner in perceptions of the city, it being held at the same place he was originally tried and convicted in.
Whatever you call it, and both names are used as if interchangeable, it’s a crucial centre for recent South African history. The make-up of its inhabitants, now more African than Afrikaans, mean it’s a vibrant, curious city, full of students, a comfortable middle class, diplomats and government officials.
Local Sights to See: If you’re going to the stadium you should check out…
Have you ever wanted to see a traditional African village with people living in their traditional way, but also have easy access to a modern conference centre and accommodation including clean showers and TVs? Look no further, the Ndebele Culture Village is the place for you.
Located just forty kilometres from Pretoria, this could be incredibly, incredibly gauche, but actually looks like quite classy, giving some basic services and providing a fascinating insight into the Mapoch community. If you’re in Pretoria, this could be a pleasant local excursion, although other cultural villages provide much the same.
Things to avoid
Maybe it’s just me, but having travelled to the cradle of mankind, the continent with the most iconic animals and the most beautiful vistas, somehow travelling down a mine seems counter-intuitive. That it was the same mine that the 3106 Carat Star of Africa emerged from may give it some significance, but the Premier Mine in Cullinan, 50km to the west of Pretoria, remains a hole in the ground and the Diamond Shop attached will probably just make you feel underwhelmed.
Games to be played there:
June 13th: Group D – Serbia vs Ghana
June 16th: Group A – South Africa vs Uruguay
June 19th: Group E – Cameroon vs Denmark
June 23nd: Group C – USA vs Algeria
June 25th: Group H – Chile vs Spain
June 29th: Round of 16 – Winner of Group F vs Runner-up Group E
