Manguang / Bloemfontein

Bloemfontein is South Africa's judicial capital city (one of three South African capitals.) It is situated in the Free State. The city will be host to games in both the FIFA World Cup and Confed Cup.

The city was officially founded in 1846 in the middle of South Africa's highveld grasslands. With a population of just under 400 000 people, it is one of South Africa's medium sized cities.

It is famous for its successful sportsmen and sporting teams, home to Bloemfontein Celtic and the Cheetahs rugby team, and including top sporting schools such as Grey College.

Similar to other cities on South Africa's Highveld, Bloemfontein has a temperate climate but can drop below freezing during the winter months. The city is mostly surrounded by farmland. It is served by Bloemfontein Airport and well connected to South Africa's extensive and well-maintained national road network.

Stadium

Name:
Freestate Stadium
Built:
1952
Construction:
Medium upgrade
Compeltion:
2008
Capacity:
45,058

Hosted matches

Match	Date	Time	Group	Teams
10	Mon 14 Jun	18:00	E	Japan	Cameroon
19	Thu 17 Jun	18:00	B	Greece	Nigeria
27	Sun 20 Jun	15:30	F	Slovakia	Paraguay
34	Tue 22 Jun	18:00	A	France	South Africa
48	Fri 25 Jun	22:30	H	Switzerland	Honduras
51	Sun 27 Jun	18:00	R16	Winner D	Runner-up C

Please note: All times are show in UAE time (2hrs later than South Africa)

Cape Town

Cape Town is known as the Mother City of South Africa, and is the second largest city in South Africa.

Blessed with natural beauty in the form of Table Mountain, tons of flora and fauna, incredible beaches, and the beautiful but chilly Atlantic ocean, it is no wonder that Cape Town is Africa's most popular tourist destination. In terms of the weather during June, Cape Town has a Mediterranean climate, which means it is more likely to rain in Winter than the Summer months.

Whilst the days aren't as warm as in other parts of South Africa, the nights don't drop to such icy temperatures as they do in Johannesburg.

If you only have a day to spend in Cape Town, we recommend you would wake up early and head off to Franchhoek for a short wine tour, then make your way to Table Mountain and hop on the cable car up to the top for lunch. After that, head off to Camps Bay beach if it's sunny, or check out the V&A Waterfront if the weather isn't great. In the evening hit Long Street and work your way from one side to the other, ending up Mr Pickwick's for some late night snacks.

Stadium

Name:
Greenpoint Stadium
Built:
2009
Construction:
New
Compeltion:
2009
Capacity:
66,005

Hosted matches

Match	Date	Time	Group	Teams
2	Fri 11 Jun	22:30	A	Uruguay	France
11	Mon 14 Jun	22:30	F	Italy	Paraguay
23	Fri 18 Jun	22:30	C	England	Algeria
30	Mon 21 Jun	15:30	G	Portugal	North Korea
44	Thu 24 Jun	22:30	E	Cameroon	Netherlands
56	Tue 29 Jun	22:30	R16	Winner H	Runner-up G
59	Sat 3 Jul	18:00	QF	Winner 52	Winner 51
61	Tue 6 Jul	22:30	SF	Winner 58	Winner 57

Please note: All times are show in UAE time (2hrs later than South Africa)

Durban

Durban will definitely be the warmest place to be during the 2010 World Cup. With amazing beaches, warms seas all year round, and friendly people, the fun will be relentless.

Durban is part of the KwaZulu-Natal province, which was previously the Kingdom of the Zulus. Many international tourists would have heard of King Shaka, the famous Zulu king, and will recognize his name on the new international airport, as well as uShaka Marine World, the entertainment development on the beach front of Durban.

Durban is the third largest city in South Africa, and has the busiest port in Africa.

Stadium

Name:
Moses Mabhida Stadium
Built:
2009
Construction:
New
Compeltion:
2009
Capacity:
69,957

Hosted matches

Match	Date	Time	Group	Teams
7	Sun 13 Jun	22:30	D	Germany	Australia
16	Wed 16 Jun	18:00	H	Spain	Switzerland
25	Sat 19 Jun	15:30	E	Netherlands	Japan
35	Tue 22 Jun	22:30	B	Nigeria	South Korea
45	Fri 25 Jun	18:00	G	Portugal	Brazil
53	Mon 28 Jun	18:00	R16	Winner E	Runner-up F
62	Wed 7 Jul	22:30	SF	Winner 59	Winner 60

Please note: All times are show in UAE time (2hrs later than South Africa)

Johannesburg

Johannesburg is South Africa's largest city. It is an economic juggernaut of the African continent and will play host to both the Confederations Cup and FIFA World Cup. Two stadiums will be used for the World Cup: Soccer City (which will host the final) and Ellis Park.

Also known as Jozi, Joburg and Egoli (translated to the City of Gold), this large metropolis was founded in 1886 after the discovery of gold on a nearby farm. This led to the discovery of the Witwatersrand reef, which originally supported and continues in part to support Johannesburg's thriving economy.

Johannesburg has a rich and diverse history, with many famous South African figures of history originating from or having spent time in the area. During apartheid it was a centre of resistance to the Nationalist Party, with Soweto included in its precincts, home to some of South Africa's most famous activists.

The Johannesburg metropolitan area has a population of over 10 million people, with almost 4 million residing in the city itself. The city contains a cosmopolitan mix of people of different races, religions and backgrounds.

Joburg's weather throughout the year is temperate, however cold spells do occur especially around the dry winter months between June and August, so pack a jersey for those night time games during the Confed and World Cup.

O R Tambo International Airport services Johannesburg and is the busiest airport in Africa. Joburg also has an extensive road network serviced by government buses as well as many privately owned unmetred Kombi taxis. The city's train network offers routes to and from the more Southern areas of the city, however the Gautrain Rapid Rail project promises to vastly improve the rail network around both Johannesburg and Pretoria.

There are a multitude of activities available for tourists in Johannesburg, and unrealistic fears of violent crime often cause foreign visitors to miss out on experiencing this truly global African city.

Stadiums

Name:
Soccer City
Built:
1987
Construction:
Major upgrade
Compeltion:
2009
Capacity:
88,460

Name:
Ellis Park Stadium
Built:
1982
Construction:
Minor upgrade
Compeltion:
2009
Capacity:
61,639

Hosted matches

Match	Date	Time	Group	Teams
1	Fri 11 Jun	18:00	A	South Africa	Mexico
3	Sat 12 Jun	18:00	B	Argentina	Nigeria
9	Mon 14 Jun	15:30	E	Netherlands	Denmark
14	Tue 15 Jun	22:30	G	Brazil	North Korea
20	Thu 17 Jun	15:30	B	Argentina	South Korea
22	Fri 18 Jun	18:00	C	Slovenia	USA
29	Sun 20 Jun	22:30	G	Brazil	Ivory Coast
32	Mon 21 Jun	22:30	H	Spain	Honduras
39	Wed 23 Jun	22:30	D	Ghana	Germany
41	Thu 24 Jun	18:00	F	Slovakia	Italy
52	Sun 27 Jun	22:30	R16	Winner B	Runner-up A
54	Mon 28 Jun	22:30	R16	Winner G	Runner-up H
58	Fri 2 Jul	22:30	QF	Winner 50	Winner 49
60	Sat 3 Jul	22:30	QF	Winner 56	Winner 55
64	Sun 11 Jul	22:30	F	Winner 62	Winner 61

Please note: All times are show in UAE time (2hrs later than South Africa)

Nelspruit

Nelspruit, which has recently had it's name officially changed to Mbombela, is the capital of Mpumalanga province of South Africa. It is about 300km due east of Johannesburg, and close to both the Kruger National Park, and the Mozambican border.

The Kruger National Park is a must see for tourist to South Africa, offering Big 5 game viewing, as well as a truly African experience. There are a number of private game lodges in and around the Kruger Park, ranging from camps sites to 5 star luxury.

If you fly into Nelspruit, you will land at the newly built Kruger Mpumalanga International Airport.

Stadium

Name:
Mbombela Stadium
Built:
2009
Construction:
New
Compeltion:
2009
Capacity:
43,589

Hosted matches

Match	Date	Time	Group	Teams
15	Wed 16 Jun	15:30	H	Honduras	Chile
28	Sun 20 Jun	18:00	F	Italy	New Zealand
40	Wed 23 Jun	22:30	D	Australia	Serbia
46	Fri 25 Jun	18:00	G	North Korea	Ivory Coast

Please note: All times are show in UAE time (2hrs later than South Africa)

Polokwane

Polokwane is the capital of the Limpopo province, and is located in the North of South Africa. If you want to get to Polokwane, it is about 4 hours drive from Johannesburg, or around 40 minutes by plane. If you do decide to go by plane, you will land at the Polokwane International Airport.

Stadium

Name:
Peter Mokaba Stadium
Built:
2010
Construction:
New
Compeltion:
2010
Capacity:
45,264

Hosted matches

Match	Date	Time	Group	Teams
6	Sun 13 Jun	15:30	C	Algeria	Slovenia
18	Thu 17 Jun	22:30	A	France	Mexico
36	Tue 22 Jun	22:30	B	Greece	Argentina
42	Thu 24 Jun	18:00	F	Paraguay	New Zealand

Please note: All times are show in UAE time (2hrs later than South Africa)

Port Elizabeth

Port Elizabeth is known as the "Friendly City" or sometimes as the "Windy City". It is located in the South of the country, which means that it borders on the Indian Ocean rather than the Atlantic Ocean, so the water is much warmer for swimming and watersports.

If you travel East of Port Elizabeth you will find the beautiful Garden Route, which spans all the way to George. If you travel along the Garden Route, be sure to stop in Jeffrey's Bay for some surfing, Plettenburg Bay for the night life, Kynsna for the natural beauty and some culture, and George for a bit of Golf.

Just North of PE is the Addo Elephant Park where can see many different types of wide-life including, you guessed it, elephants.

Stadium

Name:
Nelson Mandela Stadium
Built:
2009
Construction:
New
Compeltion:
2009
Capacity:
46,082

Hosted matches

Match	Date	Time	Group	Teams
4	Sat 12 Jun	15:30	B	South Korea	Greece
13	Tue 15 Jun	18:00	G	Ivory Coast	Portugal
21	Fri 18 Jun	15:30	D	Germany	Serbia
31	Mon 21 Jun	18:00	H	Chile	Switzerland
37	Wed 23 Jun	18:00	C	England	Slovenia
49	Sat 26 Jun	18:00	R16	Winner A	Runner-up B
57	Fri 2 Jul	18:00	QF	Winner 53	Winner 54
63	Sat 10 Jul	22:30	3rd Place

Please note: All times are show in UAE time (2hrs later than South Africa)

Tshwane / Pretoria

The City of Tshwane Metropolitan Municipality, including Pretoria in its metropole is one of three South African capital cities. It houses the impressive Herbert Baker designed Union Buildings where South Africa's presidents are inaugurated. It will host games in both the FIFA World Cup and Confederations Cup.

The city was founded in 1855 and currently has a population of over 2 million people. It is situated North of Johannesburg and is linked by one of the busiest highways in Africa.

Despite having a somewhat checkered past, being the seat of much of the apartheid government's power, it is now a modern and vibrant city with a strong sporting and cultural heritage. It is home to some of South Africa's strongest provincial sports teams including Supersport United, the Blue Bulls and the Northerns Titans cricket team.

Famous for its Jacaranda tree-lined streets, Pretoria has many attractions for visitors to the area including top-class museums and an impressive zoo.

It's closest international airport is O R Tambo International Airport.

Stadium

Name:
Loftus Versveld
Built:
1906
Construction:
Major upgrade
Compeltion:
2008
Capacity:
49,365

Hosted matches

Match	Date	Time	Group	Teams
8	Sun 13 Jun	18:00	D	Serbia	Ghana
17	Wed 16 Jun	22:30	A	South Africa	Uruguay
26	Sat 19 Jun	22:30	E	Cameroon	Denmark
36	Wed 23 Jun	18:00	C	USA	Algeria
47	Fri 25 Jun	22:30	H	Chile	Spain
55	Tue 29 Jun	18:00	R16	Winner F	Runner-up E

Please note: All times are show in UAE time (2hrs later than South Africa)

Rustenburg

Rustenberg is in the North West province of South Africa and is surrounded by farm land, game reserves and the picturesque Magaliesburg Mountain range. It will host games at its Royal Bafokeng stadium in both the FIFA World Cup and Confed Cup.

One of the older cities of South Africa's Northern regions, it was established in 1851 in response to the large farming enterprises growing around it. It is within easy driving distance of Johannesburg (taking approximately 2 hours.)

Many tourist attractions are to be found around Rustenberg including game reserves (such as the Pilanesberg Game Reserve), the Hartbeespoort Dam and the famous Sun City Entertainment complex. It is also home to the two largest Platinum Mines in the world.

Stadium

Name:
Royal Bafokeng Stadium
Built:
1999
Construction:
Minor upgrade
Compeltion:
2010
Capacity:
44,530

Hosted matches

Match	Date	Time	Group	Teams
5	Sat 12 Jun	22:30	C	England	USA
12	Tue 15 Jun	15:30	F	New Zealand	Slovkia
24	Sat 19 Jun	18:00	D	Ghana	Australia
33	Tue 22 Jun	18:00	A	Mexico	Uruguay
43	Thu 24 Jun	22:30	E	Denmark	Japan
50	Sat 26 Jun	22:30	R16	Winner C	Runner-up D

Please note: All times are show in UAE time (2hrs later than South Africa)

City information kindly provided by TwoZero10.com - A blog by South African football fans about the 2010 Fifa World Cup™