2010 World Cup City Preview: Cape Town

(Because it is likely that I cannot tell you a single thing about some of the teams in the World Cup, I will resort to a different World Cup Preview. Instead of taking a look at the teams playing in the World Cup, over the next month before the Cup begins, I will preview each of the 9 cities playing host to the 2010 FIFA World Cup. Last but certainly not least, Cape Town!)

Population: 3,497,097

Province: Western Cape

Average Temperature in June: High: 64 degrees Fahrenheit (18 Celcius). Low: 48 degrees Fahrenheit (6 Celcius).

Average Precipitation in June: 3.70 inches (94 mm).

Brief History: In search for a passage to Asia in the late 15th century, Europoeans thought the only way possible there was to go around the tip of Africa. That tip of Africa would later be known as the Cape of Good Hope, and the city built out of that Cape became Cape Town.

During the era of Apartheid, Cape Town was especially hit. As it was throughout the rest of South Africa during this era, the white minority dominated the region and forced the entire coloured population to live in separate sections of the town, resulting in tremendous poverty and terrible conditions. After being imprisoned for 27 years, Nelson Mandela was released from prison on February 11, 1990, and gave this impassioned speech. This video will say more about Cape Town and South Africa then I ever could.



Today, Cape Town is the 2nd most populous city in South Africa (behind Johannesburg) and also holds the title of legislative capital of South Africa, joining Pretoria as the executive capital and Bloemfontein as the judicial capital. Though sadly as with lots of South Africa cities, Cape Town is also struggling with violent crime, drugs, Tuberculosis, and HIV/AIDS.

United States Sister City: Miami, Florida.

Venue: Cape Town Stadium

Cape Town Stadium is yet another brand new stadium built for the 2010 FIFA World Cup. The capacity of the stadium is 69,070 and is the replacement of the old Green Point Stadium in Cape Town, which was demolished just for this new stadium for the World Cup. It was opened in 2009 and has gone through test runs in terms of U-20 matches and some South African club matches, but this World Cup will be the first major event held in Cape Town Stadium.

Games being played in Cape Town Stadium
June 11: Group A: Uruguay vs. France
June 14: Group F: Italy vs. Paraguay
June 18: Group C: England vs. Algeria
June 21: Group G: Portugal vs. North Korea
June 24: Group E: Cameroon vs. Netherlands
June 29: Round of 16: Group H Winner vs. Group G Runner-up
July 3: Quarterfinal Match
July 6: Semi-final Match

Lastly, here are some images of Cape Town.






(Thanks to Wikipedia in addition to several web sites dedicated to Johannesburg and South Africa. Stay tuned as I look at the other cities hosting the 2010 World Cup.)

2010 World Cup City Preview: Port Elizabeth

(Because it is likely that I cannot tell you a single thing about some of the teams in the World Cup, I will resort to a different World Cup Preview. Instead of taking a look at the teams playing in the World Cup, over the next month before the Cup begins, I will preview each of the 9 cities playing host to the 2010 FIFA World Cup. Next up, Port Elizabeth!)

Population: 737,600

Province: Eastern Cape

Average Temperature in June: High: 82 degrees Fahrenheit (28 Celcius). Low: 38 degrees Fahrenheit (3 Celcius).

Average Precipitation in June: 2.40 inches (61.0 mm)

Brief History: From being called a "Landing Place With Fresh Water" to "Cape Colony" to "Port Elizabeth," this area of South Africa has seen more than its fair share of name changes over the years. While the colony that was ultimately established there was a British colony, this area of South Africa was actually first discovered by Portuguese explorers Bartolomeu Dias and Vasco de Gama. It is they who are responsible for marking the map as a "Landing Place With Fresh Water."

The city of Port Elizabeth was hit hard by the era of apartheid in South Africa. The university in the old part of the town was re-located to the outskirts, dealing that beautiful area of the city a crushing blow that it still has not fully recovered from. The British also added loads of infrastructure to the city, which while economically beneficial, separated the old town from the station and the harbor, and that in turn helped in ruining the history there.

Today, Port Elizabeth has been in area hit really hard by epidemics such as HIV/AIDS and various sorts of crime. The good news is the important industries there are booming, bringing in some money to the city, which can in turn be used to help get rid of crime and to find treatment for those struggling with HIV. Port Elizabeth is also known for its water sports. You can see how it is a coastal city on the above map and the amount of water in the area has allowed for water sports to really prosper.

United States Sister Cities: None.

Venue: Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium

This stadium is another stadium falling under the category of brand new football stadium. The capacity for is set at 48,459 and it's big unique feature is that it overlooks a lake. The original plan was to use the new Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium for the 2009 Confederations Cup, but a year before said kickoff, it was feared that the stadium would not be ready yet, so it was dropped from that plan. It has no permanent tenants as of yet, but that does not mean it will not be used heavily during the 2010 World Cup, because you will be seeing this stadium a lot during the World Cup.

Games being played at Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium
June 12: Group B: South Korea vs. Greece
June 15: Group G: Cote d'Ivoire vs. Portugal
June 18: Group D: Germany vs. Serbia
June 21: Group H: Chile vs. Switzerland
June 23: Group C: Slovenia vs. England
June 26: Round of 16: Group A Winner vs. Group B Runner-up
July 2: Quarterfinal Match
July 10: 3rd Place Consolation Match

Lastly, here are some photos of Port Elizabeth.






(Thanks to Wikipedia in addition to several web sites dedicated to Johannesburg and South Africa. Stay tuned as I look at the other cities hosting the 2010 World Cup.)

2010 World Cup City Preview: Durban

Because it is likely that I cannot tell you a single thing about some of the teams in the World Cup, I will resort to a different World Cup Preview. Instead of taking a look at the teams playing in the World Cup, over the next month before the Cup begins, I will preview each of the 9 cities playing host to the 2010 FIFA World Cup. Next up, Durban!
Population: 3,468,086

Province: KwaZulu-Natal

Average Temperature in June: High: 73 degrees Fahrenheit (23 Celcius). Low: 55 degrees Fahrenheit (13 Celcius).

Average Precipitation in June: 1.30 inches (33 mm).

Brief History: Today one of South Africa's 2 biggest getaway cities, Durban was initially founded by a British Lieutenant named F.G. Farewell in 1824. It is said by some that people inhabited the area known today as Durban over 100,000 years ago, but who the hell can say that for sure?

In the 1860s, the British established a sugar cane industry in the city of Durban, but because the local Zulu people did not want to work on said plantations, they brought in some Asians, mostly from India, to be indentured servants. The result today is an abnormally high Asian population in a South African city. They only make up a tad less than 20% of the total Durban population, but as mentioned, that is not seen very often in African cities.

As alluded to above, today Durban is a large tourist city. As you can see by the map in the first picture in the post, it is a city along the coast (those are almost always guaranteed to be big tourist cities) and Durban also happens to be the city you can reach Zululand and Drakensberg, both of which are popular tourist destinations. For all the talk I did a month ago about Johannesburg and how it was a business city, well, this is one of the places all those business people go when they want some time off. It is worth pointing out that Durban is not the only such city in South Africa. Cape Town is another big tourist city, and because it is also a World Cup hosting city, I will have more on that later in the week before the World Cup kicks off.

United States Sister Cities: Chicago, Illinois and New Orleans, Louisiana

Venue: Moses Mabhida Stadium

As you have seen before, some of these World Cup stadiums are well over 50 years old and underwent big time renovations for the World Cup while others have been brand spanking new. The 70,000 capacity Moses Mabhida Stadium falls in the latter category: it's brand spanking new. And maybe I'm a sucker for these types of things, but as far as outside architecture goes, this is by far the neatest looking stadium I have seen for the World Cup. This is another stadium that has a Qwest Field-esque roof over the seats while maintaining in outdoor field of play.

Games being played in Moses Mabhida Stadium
June 13: Group D: Germany vs. Australia
June 16: Group H: Spain vs. Switzerland
June 19: Group E: Netherlands vs. Japan
June 22: Group B: Nigeria vs. South Korea
June 25: Group G: Brazil vs. Portugal
June 28: Round of 16: Group E Winner vs. Group F Runner-up
July 7: Semi-Finals Game

Lastly, here are some pictures of Durban.






(Thanks to Wikipedia in addition to several web sites dedicated to Johannesburg and South Africa. Stay tuned as I look at the other cities hosting the 2010 World Cup.)

2010 World Cup City Preview: Bloemfontein

Because it is likely that I cannot tell you a single thing about some of the teams in the World Cup, I will resort to a different World Cup Preview. Instead of taking a look at the teams playing in the World Cup, over the next month before the Cup begins, I will preview each of the 9 cities playing host to the 2010 FIFA World Cup. Next up, Bloemfontein!
Population: 369,568

Province: Free State

Average Temperature in June: High: 70 degrees Fahrenheit (21 Celcius). Low: 20 degrees Fahrenheit (-7 Celcius).

Average Precipitation in June: .5 inches (12.7 mm)

Brief History: While the Dutch Afrikaners were the first to settle in the area, Bloemfontein was not officially established until 1846 by a British army major. Originally the capital of the Orange Free State Republic, Bloemfontein soon became the Judicial capital of the Union of South Africa in 1910.

During the Second Boer War, Bloemfontein was unfortunately the site of another one of the concentration camps that I talked a bit about with the Polokwane post. Today, a Memorial sit on the outskirts of the city paying tribute to the tens of thousands of people who lost their lives during this unfortunate time period.

Today, Bloemfontein is the Judicial capital of South Africa. I have already talked about Pretoria, which is the executive capital of South Afirca, and the legislative of South Africa is coming up later this week. Bloemfontein is not just a hardly unknown judicial capital by any sense of the imagination. This was the city where J.R.R. Tolkein was born! All of a sudden every nerd and tween in the world loves Bloemfontein like no other city in South Africa. For realz.

United States Sister Cities: None

Venue Free State Stadium

Free State Stadium was opened just in time for the 1996 African Cup of Nations. With a capacity of 45,000, Free State Stadium is home to 2 rugby teams and the Bloemfontein Celtic of the South African Premier Soccer League. Free State Stadium was one of the 4 venues used during the 2009 Confederations Cup. The most notable game held here was the United States' upset over Spain in the semi-finals which ended Spain's long international winning and unbeaten streaks.

Games being played in Free State Stadium
June 14: Group E: Japan vs. Cameroon
June 17: Group B: Greece vs. Nigeria
June 22: Group F: Slovakia vs. Paraguay
June 25: Group H: Switzerland vs. Honduras
June 27: Round of 16: Group D Winner vs. Group C Runner-up

Lastly, here are some pictures of Bloemfontein.

2010 World Cup City Preview: Nelspruit

Because it is likely that I cannot tell you a single thing about some of the teams in the World Cup, I will resort to a different World Cup Preview. Instead of taking a look at the teams playing in the World Cup, over the next month before the Cup begins, I will preview each of the 9 cities playing host to the 2010 FIFA World Cup. Next up, Nelspruit!
Population: 221,474

Province: Mpumalanga

Average Temperature in June: High: 73 degrees Fahrenheit (23 Celcius). Low: 43 degrees Fahrenheit (6 Celcius).

Average Precipitation in June: .35 inches (9 mm).

Brief History: When South Africa submitted it's bid, this city was called Nelspruit at the time. But that has since changed, the city is now officially called Mbombela, but in order to avoid confusion, FIFA (and subsequently me) will refer to the city as Nelspruit both here and throughtout the rest of the World Cup. The city was not founded until 1905 and it was founded by the brothers Nel (gee, I wonder where the city name comes from?). During the Boer War, Nelspruit served as the capital of the South African Republic for a short period of time. Nelspruit is less known for its history and more so known for what it is today. For tourists traveling to Mozambique and Kruger National Park, Nelspruit is the big spotover point. When not connecting cities, Nelspruit is a pretty big city for agriculture and manufacturing and is the capital of the province Mpumalanga.

United States Sister City: None.

Venue: Mbombela Stadium.

People can never make things easy, now can they? The city they are playing in is officially Mbombela now, although for this month it will be referred to as Nelspruit, but just to make things difficult, the stadium is named Mbombela. As you might have figured by the name, Mbombela Stadium is a brand new stadium that was built specifically for the World Cup, but will be used for other events in the future. This stadium is actually similar to Qwest Field in that it is an outdoor stadium but there is a roof over the seats that will keep the majority of spectators dry in the case of a storm. The stadium is also designed to have the seats right on top of the action, so as to create a louder environment. And with the return of the dreaded vuvuzelas during the World Cup, they could certainly be a bigger distraction and annoyance than they already are in a stadium like Mbombela Stadium.

Games being played Mbombela Stadium:
June 16: Group H: Honduras vs. Chile
June 20: Group F: Italy vs. New Zealand
June 23: Group D: Australia vs. Serbia
June 25: Group G: North Korea vs. Ivory Coast

Lastly, here are some photos of Nelspruit.

2010 World Cup City Preview: Rustenburg

Because it is likely that I cannot tell you a single thing about some of the teams in the World Cup, I will resort to a different World Cup Preview. Instead of taking a look at the teams playing in the World Cup, over the next month before the Cup begins, I will preview each of the 9 cities playing host to the 2010 FIFA World Cup. Next up, Rustenburg!
Population: 395,539

Province: North West

Average Temperature in June: No data available. FIFA estimates the average temperature to be 16 degrees Celcius in their profile of Rustenburg.

Average Precipitation in June: See above. FIFA has no data for the precipitation in Rustenburg.

Brief History: While I do not mean to disrespect Rustenburg in anyway, there is not a lot of notable history here. It was founded in 1851 as a fertile farming area. While the 1st residents of the city were primarily of Indian origin, the town's history is most noted for it's Afrikaner history. Rustenburg was one of the first towns/cities to be inhabited by the Boers and future president of the South African Republic, Paul Kruger, actually lived in what is not Rustenburg for some time, having bought a 5 square-kilometer farm. During the Boer War, Rustenburg served as one of the battlefields. While nothing major happened at Rustenburg, a place in close proximity of Rustenburg called Mafiking did see some more well-known battles.

If any people of Rustenburg are reading this (and before you Americans scoff at that notion, I did have someone from Pretoria comment on my Pretoria post), or just happen to know more than I do about Rustenburg, and there is something notable about Rustenburg that I left out, please let me know in the comments and I will be happy to add it. I have not been able to find much on Rustenburg, so any and all help will be appreciated.

United States Sister City: None.

Venue: Royal Bafokeng Stadium

With a capacity of 44,530, Royal Bafokeng Stadium will be the smallest stadium in the 2010 FIFA World Cup (smallest in Germany in 2006 was the stadium in Leipzig). Opened in 1999, Royal Bafokeng Stadium currently plays host to their permanent tenants, the Platinum Stars of South Africa's Premier Soccer League. If this city and stadium sound familiar, well, it should. Rustenburg and Royal Bafokeng Stadium was one of the 4 stadiums to host games in the 2009 FIFA Confederations Cup.

Games being played in Royal Bafokeng Stadium
June 12: Group C: England vs. United States
June 15: Group F: New Zealand vs. Slovakia
June 19: Group D: Ghana vs. Australia
June 22: Group A: Mexico vs. Uruguay
June 24: Group E: Denmark vs. Japan
June 26: Round of 16: Group C Winner vs. Group D Runner-up

Lastly, some pictures of Rustenburg

2010 World Cup City Preview: Pretoria

Because it is likely that I cannot tell you a single thing about some of the teams in the World Cup, I will resort to a different World Cup Preview. Instead of taking a look at the teams playing in the World Cup, over the next month before the Cup begins, I will preview each of the 9 cities playing host to the 2010 FIFA World Cup. Next up, Pretoria!
Population: 2,345,908

Province: Gauteng

Average Temperature in June: High: 65 degrees Fahrenheit (18 Celcius). Low: 44 degrees Fahrenheit (7 Celcius).

Average Precipitation in June: .30 inches (7.6 mm)

Brief History: Pretoria was originally founded as a farm in 1855. The name of that farm: Pretoria Philadelphia. I kid you not. But when it became time to turn the farm into a town, they decided to drop the "Philadelphia" part of the name and name it Pretoria. When the British annexed South Africa in the late 1800s, they made Pretoria the capital of the Transvaal Colony.

Once South Africa was completely unified by the British, Pretoria was named the capital of the South African Republic. During the Boer Wars, Pretoria was a highly featured city. The treaty to end the first Boer War was signed in Pretoria. Before the Second Boer War, numerous forts were built in order to protect the city. In fact, during the Second Boer War, Winston Churchill was actually imprisoned in Pretoria. After the wars when the British ruled the Union of South Africa, they turned Pretoria into the administrative capital of the whole Union (as opposed to just the Transvaal Colony), a title that it still holds today, only minus that whole part about the British. Yes, Pretoria is modern day executive capital of South Africa. But back then, Pretoria was given the image of "capital of Apartheid South Africa." So yeah, this city can bring back some rather unkind memories for the South African people.

There is a current controversy and that involves, of all things, the naming of the city. There is currently a movement to change the name of the city from Pretoria to "Tshwane", which is currently the name of the metropolitan municipality in Pretoria. The idea here is to get the whole area currently under the name Pretoria to be called Tshwane, and not just the one sector of the city. The Afrikaners have been protesting it and while are already beginning to refer to the whole city as Tshwane, nothing is official yet and the issue remains very controversial in Pretoria.

United States Sister City: Washington D.C.

Venue: Loftus Versfeld Stadium

Originally opened in 1906, Loftus Versfeld Stadium has undergone quite a few name changes between now and then. Today, it's capacity is 51,762 and is used as both a soccer and a rugby venue. Recently, Loftus Versfeld Stadium was one of the 4 venues used in the FIFA Confederations Cup. It played host to the Group B matches between USA and Italy, USA and Brazil, and Brazil and Italy.

World Cup games being played at Loftus Versfeld Stadium.
June 13: Group D: Serbia vs. Ghana
June 16: Group A: South Africa vs. Uruguay
June 19: Group E: Cameroon vs. Denmark
June 23: Group C: United States vs. Algeria
June 25: Group H: Chile vs. Spain
June 29: Round of 16: Group F Winner vs. Group E Runner-Up

And lastly, some photos of Pretoria!

2010 World Cup City Preview: Polokwane

Because it is likely that I cannot tell you a single thing about some of the teams in the World Cup, I will resort to a different World Cup Preview. Instead of taking a look at the teams playing in the World Cup, over the next month before the Cup begins, I will preview each of the 9 cities playing host to the 2010 FIFA World Cup. Next up, Polokwane!
Population: 508,272.

Province: Limpopo

Average temperature in June: High: 68 degrees Fahrenheit (20 Celcius). Low: 41 degrees Fahrenheit (6 Celcius).

Average precipitation in June: .2 inches (5 millimeters) <-- It's really really really dry.

Brief history: Originally called Pietersburg, this town is most well-known for its usage as an English concentration camp during the Boer War at the end of the 19th century. The Boer War was a rebellion of sorts by the Boers of South Africa against the British imperialists. The British originally wanted to just blow up their homes, but upon the constant fight backs by the Boers, decided to take the women and children and place them in concentration camps. The conditions were deplorable, disease spread rampant, and some considered these places nothing more than cruel torture devices. Polokwane was not the absolute worst one, but that does not mean it was a picnic in the sun, either.

In 2005, the name of the city was changed from Pietersburg to its current name, Polokwane. Translated into English, Polokwane means, "Place of Safety." Pretty ironic, huh?

If you are visiting Polokwane, chances are you are doing so in order to get a glimpse of Mother Nature in South Africa. Polokwane is home to the Polokwane Game Reserve, which is home to various sorts of wildlife that help make Africa.

United States Sister City: None.

Venue: Peter Mokaba Stadium

This is a brand new stadium built specifically for the 2010 FIFA World Cup. It's capacity is 46,000. The stadium is named for Africa National Congress Youth League leader Peter Mokaba, most known for his "kill the boer, kill the farmer" chant directed toward Afrikaaners as a call to violence to end apartheid. If there was more information about the stadium, I would give it to you, but, what can be said about a brand new stadium that has not been used yet?

2010 FIFA World Cup games being played in Peter Mokaba Stadium.
June 13: Group C: Algeria vs. Slovenia
June 17: Group A: France vs. Mexico
June 22: Group B: Greece vs. Argentina
June 24: Group F: Paraguay vs. New Zealand

Lastly, here are some pictures of Polokwane to give you a more visual picture of this city that had a brand new stadium built for a whopping 4 round robin games (0 elimination games are being played in Polokwane).






(Thanks to Wikipedia in addition to several web sites dedicated to Polokwane and South Africa. Stay tuned as I look at the other cities hosting the 2010 World Cup in the upcoming month.)