History of Johannesburg Stadium

Full name:

First National Bank Stadium

Nickname(s):

Soccer City

Location:

Johannesburg

Built:

1987

Opened:

1987

Owner:

Former names:

Johannesburg Stadium

Tenants:

South Africa National Football Team

Capacity:

104,000

Facts & History

1 Stadium Overview
2 Soccer City History
3 Seating Chart
- 3.1 Map
4 City Information
- 4.1 Area Pubs
- 4.2 Travel Tips
5 Important Links
6 References

Stadium Overview

Soccer City, also known as the First National Bank Stadium (FNB Stadium) has the third largest capacity in Africa. It is being renovated for World Cup 2010 with a new design inspired by traditional African pottery. The Johannesburg Stadium will hold the opening match, four more first-round matches, one second-round match, one quarter-final and the final.

Soccer City History

Soccer City was built in 1987, located in Johannesburg, South Africa. It is the central venue for the South African Football Association (SAFA). A football-specific stadium, the FNB Stadium seats 78,000 people in plastic bucket seats. The stadium has the third largest capacity in Africa. Most of the largest football events in South Africa are played at Soccer City and the venue is better suited to these events than nearby Ellis Park, where the final for the Rugby World Cup in 1995 was held.

The Johannesburg Stadium has a sweeping roof and can accommodate 37,500 people. The eighth IAAF World Cup of Athletics was held at the stadium in 2003, with 58 countries competing.

Seating Chart

The Johannesburg Stadium will hold the opening match, four more first-round matches, one second-round match one quarter-final and the final.

Soccer City in Johannesburg is to undergo a major upgrade for the World Cup 2010, with a new design inspired by traditional African pottery. The upper tier will be extended around the stadium to increase the capacity to 94,700 with an extra 99 Executive suites, an encircling roof will be constructed, new changing room facilities will be developed and new floodlights will be installed.

Map

City Information

Johannesburg is the provincial capital of Gauteng, the wealthiest province in South Africa, having the largest economy of any metropolitan region in Sub-Saharan Africa.

Johannesburg is the largest and most populous city in South Africa. It has the largest economy of any metropolitan region in Sub-Saharan Africa. Johannesburg is the source of a large-scale gold and diamond trade, due to its location on the mineral-rich hills. Most of the professional football clubs in the country come from this city.