Category: World Cup 2010

World Cup Stadium Profile: Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium

Situated in the Friendly City, The Sunflower boasts Hertfordshire turf and will host England’s match against Slovenia, says Ben Lyttleton. “What an amazing stadium this is: overlooking the North End Lake, this stadium’s roof is made up of a series of white ‘petals’ making it look like a flower, hence its nickname, The Sunflower.” The Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium was going to be one of the venues for the Confederations Cup last year but amid fears that the newly-built stadium would not be ready in time, organisers changed their plans. To their embarrassment, not only was the stadium ready in time, as it turned out, but it was also the first of all five of the newly-constructed stadia for the World Cup to be completed. And what an amazing stadium it is: overlooking the North End Lake, this stadium’s roof is made up of a series of white ‘petals’ making it look like a flower, hence its nickname, The Sunflower , which is the emblem of the Eastern Cape. The pitch has been designed to accommodate both rugby and football and the playing surface, which is made up of rye grass, was grown off-site in St Albans. Because of a recent heatwave in the area, the field has been watered at 2am every morning. The stadium hosted its first international match in November 2009, when 44,000 fans watched Bafana Bafana draw 0-0 with Japan. Two weeks later, the stadium had its first Premier Soccer League encounter, as Kaizer Chiefs beat Santos 1-0.