Two new 2010 venues pass first test
The two newly completed venues for the World Cup in South Africa have passed their first test after matches were played at both stadiums.
The Cape Town stadium hosted a local derby between South African clubs Santos and Ajax Cape Town whilst the Peter Mokaba arena held a four team all day tournament.
18,000 spectators were eager to gain a view of the Peter Mokaba stadium as it is one of five grounds built from scratch for the tournament in June. It is due to hold four group stage matches in the World Cup meaning that the three matches staged at the weekend were good preparation for main event in several months.
Roger de Sá, former South African goalkeeper stated that the Mokaba stadium handled the day professionally. He added: ”All round it’s a very good stadium. The training grounds are close by and the stadium itself has a good pitch and tight atmosphere with modern touches.”
20,000 supporters walked through the gates at the Cape Town stadium to watch the South African derby. The day will be remembered as more of a festival than a sporting event as the stadium received a blessing and there was also live music.
Danny Jordaan, CEO of the Organising Committee, said he hopes Cape Town would come together as a community for the eight matches that will play out there. He said: ”We want this stadium to have a significant number of supporters from Cape Town, so that they can enjoy the stadium; so that they can embrace the fans coming and get into the spirit of being good hosts.”
