Situated in Polokwane, previously known as Pietersburg, the capital of the football-mad province Limpopo, the Peter Mokaba Stadium is another newly built venue for the FIFA World Cup, replacing the old Peter Mokaba Stadium, situated next to it, after initial upgrade plans were abandoned in favour of a new construction.
The design of the new Peter Mokaba Stadium is based upon the iconic Baobab tree, with each corner of the edifice supported by enormous 'trunks', where the steel structure holding up the roof is anchored.
Facts
- Surface: Grass
- Capacity: 46 000
- The Stadium Will Host Four Matches
- The new stadium has 500 VIP seats.
- The VIP segment has its own entrance.
- Seats for 1,675 media representatives.
- Has an 800m² VIP reception area and lounge.
- Boasts world class offices and storage areas.
- Good parking for both player buses and officials.
- At least 1,126 workers took part on the project.
- The structure accommodates 40,000 fans, 5,000 VIPs and 1,000 officials.
- Guide centres are also housed nearby and at the airport.
- Didier Drogba made his international Ivory Coast debut at the old Peter Mokaba stadium in 2002 in a CAF Africa Cup of Nations qualifier which South Africa won 2-1.
History
The stadium holds an important place in South African history, as it is named after Peter Mokaba, one of the renowned sons of the struggle and emancipation of the country against the apartheid regime. Mokaba was born and raised in Polokwane (formerly known as Pietersburg) and was famed for his fighting spirit and leadership skills.
There is a smaller stadium next to the site of the current venue which was called the Peter Mokaba Stadium, but it was decided that a newly built stadium would be best for the 2010 World Cup, rather than upgrades to the old arena nearby, making the whole area the Peter Mokaba Sports Complex.
Plus and Minuses
Pluses
- The stadium design allows fans in the venue to enjoy the Polokwane sky, renowned for the amount of stars on show, whilst being close to the pitch thanks to the stands being set right alongside the playing surface.
- Gaining access to the stadium will be easier than in certain cities where the stadium is in the CBD, as the Peter Mokaba venue is located away from the more congested city centre.
- Polokwane is the gateway to a number of other countries in southern Africa - namely Botswana, Malawi, Zambia, Zimbabwe and Mozambique - which means that this stadium is the closest to come to for fans from these other African countries to enjoy World Cup matches.
- It is expected to become Limpopo's prime venue for football and rugby union matches, political rallies and entertainment events for a long time to come, giving the region a stadium to be proud of.
- According to officials at the stadium, security measures have been properly resourced, capacitated and are in a state of readiness. The medical and emergency services have been improved in line with the requirements of the tournament.
Minuses
- Being the smallest of the host cities, it is the route with least public transport options to get there.
- Due to the smaller nature of the city, only four World Cup matches will take place in Polokwane.
Games To Be Played
Greece, Argentina, Paraguay, New Zealand, Algeria, Slovenia, France and Mexico will all play first round matches at this newly built state of the art venue. The France-Mexico game is one of the high profile matches earmarked for the city. Another mouth-watering clash will see Paraguay take on New Zealand, whilst an interesting encounter will see Greece go head to head with Argentina. Algeria will also square off against Slovenia at the arena.
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