Tournament News
2010: PE ahead of schedule
2009-02-03 15:02
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Port Elizabeth - Nelson Mandela Bay/Port Elizabeth is leading South Africa's charge to welcome the world in June 2010.
The City's brand new stadium, in South Africa's Eastern Cape province, is at an advanced stage of completion and is set to be complete a year before the 2010 FIFA World Cup kicks off. 2010 Fifa World Cup organising committee chief executive visited the stadium in his home town of Port Elizabeth on Tuesday, and said he was very happy with what he saw.
"We at the 2010 FIFA World Cup Organising Committee South Africa are delighted with the progress made with the construction of the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium. It is extremely exciting to see a brand new 2010 FIFA World Cup venue taking shape so many months ahead of its FIFA World Cup completion deadline," remarked Jordaan.
Jordaan was able to walk on the newly laid pitch and take in a view of a stadium that has 40 000 of its 48 000 seats already installed a year and a half before it hosts a 2010 FIFA World Cup match. The stadium is set to be the first newly-constructed 2010 FIFA World Cup stadium to be completed.
More than half of the 36 girders that will support the roof have been erected, and the columns, slabs, precast seating, precast raking beams and moat are already complete.
"We would like to take this opportunity to commend the Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality and its 2010 team for the excellent job it has done in delivering the stadium. We would also like to recognise the co-operation between the local and provincial government in the Eastern Cape and the single mindedness with which these two spheres of government have worked together to ensure the success of Nelson Mandela Bay, not just for the city but for the entire province.
"We are convinced Nelson Mandela Bay will be a magnificent 2010 FIFA World Cup Host City. The city will host eight 2010 FIFA World Cup matches - including a 2010 quarter-final and the third and fourth place playoff match - so the city will play a very important role during the 2010 FIFA World Cup. Nelson Mandela Bay will host a number of high-profile matches and welcome countries and visitors from all over the world," Jordaan added.