March 5, 2007
By Lucky Sindane
JOBURG will indeed be soccer city for the next few years, and Ellis Park Stadium has been named as a host venue of the 2009 Confederations Cup in the lead up to the world's biggest soccer spectacular, the 2010 Fifa World Cup.
The Confederations Cup will act as a testing event for South Africa's readiness to host the Fifa (Fédération Internationale de Football Association) cup in 2010. Ellis Park is also on the federation's list of approved stadiums to host matches in that tournament.
Held every two years by the international body, the Confederations Cup is a tournament for national teams. It is contested by the winners of each of the six Fifa confederation championships, which include CAF (Confederation of African Football), Conmebol (South American Football Confederation), Uefa (Union of European Football Associations), AFC (Asian Football Confederation), OFC (Oceania Football Confederation) and Concacaf (the Confederation of North and Central American and Caribbean Association Football), along with the Fifa World Cup champion and the host country, bringing the number of participating teams to eight.
"The 2006 Confederations Cup held in Germany helped us a lot and we believe that it will guide us where we need to improve," Fifa's director of communications, Murkus Siegler, said recently at a media information day at the Sandton Convention Centre.
"The Confederations Cup is an important testing event ahead of the 2010 Fifa Soccer World Cup."
Five venues have been identified for the 2009 Confederations Cup. They are Ellis Park, Loftus Versveld Stadium, Free State Stadium, Royal Bafokeng Stadium and Port Elizabeth Stadium. A high-powered Fifa delegation recently undertook a five-day inspection of these venues.
Ellis Park Stadium, situated in the southeast of the city, can accommodate 50 000 people. In the build-up to the 2010 event, plans are in place by the Johannesburg Development Agency to upgrade the greater Ellis Park precinct, which is made up of three international sports complexes - the Johannesburg Stadium, Ellis Park Stadium, and Ellis Park Pools, the city's premier Olympic-size swimming pool.
The area includes Doornfontein, Bertrams, Bezuidenhout Valley, Troyeville, Judith's Paarl and Lorentzville. Ellis Park Stadium will get an additional 10 000 seats.
Soccer and rugby are played at the venue, which is also used for other large events, such as concerts. It hosted the 1995 Rugby World Cup, which was won by South Africa.
Ellis Park is expected to host one of the semi-finals of the 2010 Fifa World Cup.
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