FNB Stadium
Soccer City, The Calabash | |
| File:Soccer-City-Stadium-at-capacity.jpg | |
 | |
| Location | Stadium Avenue, Nasrec, Johannesburg, South Africa |
|---|---|
| Coordinates | 26°14′5.27″S 27°58′56.47″E / 26.2347972°S 27.9823528°E |
| Owner | City of Johannesburg |
| Operator | Stadium Management South Africa |
| Executive suites | 195 |
| Capacity | 94,736 |
| Record attendance | 94,713 (South Africa-New Zealand, 21 August 2010) |
| Field size | 105m X 68m |
| Surface | Grass |
| Construction | |
| Broke ground | 1986 |
| Opened | 1989 |
| Renovated | 2009 |
| Expanded | 2009 |
| Construction cost | Rand 3.3 billion (USD $ 440 million) |
| Architect | Boogertman & Partners, HOK Sport (now Populous)[1] |
| Tenants | |
| South Africa national rugby union team South Africa national football team Kaizer Chiefs | |
First National Bank Stadium or simply FNB Stadium, also known as Soccer City and The Calabash, is a stadium located in Nasrec, the Soweto area of Johannesburg, South Africa. It is located next to the South African Football Association headquarters (SAFA House) where both the FIFA offices and the Local Organising Committee for the 2010 FIFA World Cup were housed.[2] Designed as the main association football stadium for the World Cup, the FNB Stadium became the largest stadium in Africa with a capacity of 94,736. However its maximum capacity during the 2010 FIFA World Cup was 84,490 due to reserved seating for the press and other VIPs. The stadium is also known by its nickname "The Calabash" due to its resemblance to the African pot[3] or gourd.
It was the site of Nelson Mandela's first speech in Johannesburg after his release from prison.[4] It was also the site of Chris Hani's funeral.[4]
It was also the venue for the 2010 FIFA World Cup Final, which was played by the Netherlands and Spain.
Naming history
The stadium has been officially known as FNB Stadium since it was opened in 1989. This was due to a naming rights deal with First National Bank. During the 2010 FIFA World Cup, as well as in the month before the tournament, the stadium was referred to as Soccer City. This was done as FIFA does not allow stadiums to be referred to by sponsored names during FIFA-sanctioned tournaments.
Construction
The stadium underwent a major upgrade for the 2010 FIFA World Cup, with a new design inspired by the shape of an African pot, the calabash.[5] The South African main contractor GLTA, part of the Aveng Group in a joint venture with the Dutch company BAM who had a 25% stake, constructed the upgrade, which was designed by the architects HOK Sport (renamed Populous in January 2009) and Boogertman + Partners. The upgrade included: an extended upper tier around the stadium to increase the capacity to 88,958,[6] an additional 2 executive suites, an encircling roof, new changing room facilities and new floodlights. The number of suites in the stadium was increased to 195. Grinaker-LTA and BAM international won the R1.5 billion[7] tender to upgrade the stadium.[8] The construction was completed on Wednesday, 21 October 2009 and was marked by a huge celebration at the stadium.[6]
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Construction work in progress at Soccer City in May 2008. -
Construction work in progress at Soccer City in December 2008.
Stadium design
The outside of the stadium is designed to have the appearance of an African pot; the cladding on the outside is a mosaic of fire and earthen colours with a ring of lights running around the bottom of the structure, simulating fire underneath the pot. No spectator is seated more than 100 metres (330 ft) from the field, and there are no restricted views in the stadium.[9]
The stands in the FNB Stadium are articulated by ten black vertical lines; nine are aligned geographically with the nine other stadiums involved in the 2010 World Cup. Because 9 is considered to be an unlucky number in South African traditional culture,[citation needed] a tenth line was added. This tenth line is aimed at Berlin's Olympic Stadium, which hosted the previous World Cup final in 2006. This represents the road to the final and it is hoped that after the World Cup, each goal scored at the stadium will be placed in pre-cast concrete panels on a podium so that the full history of the tournament’s scores can be seen for years to come.[10]
Before the upgrade
Before the upgrade, the stadium had a capacity of 80,000. The newly reconstructed stadium retains part of the original structure's west upper tier, although this and the entire lower tier were rebuilt to improve sightlines. The lower tier was completely reconstructed and divided into two segments which enabled the creation of a new lower concourse( the lower embankment concourse) linked to the existing ground level concourse.
Major tournaments
1996 African Cup of Nations
FNB Stadium served as the main venue for the tournament. It hosted the opening game, 5 other group games, a quarter final, a semi final, the 3rd place play-off and the final. The games were:
| Date | Team #1 | Res. | Team #2 | Round | Attendance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1996-01-13 |  South Africa |
3–0 |  Cameroon |
Group A (opening match) | 80,000 |
| 1996-01-15 |  Egypt |
2–1 |  Angola |
Group A | 6,000 |
| 1996-01-18 | Cameroon |
2–1 | Egypt |
Group A | 4,000 |
| 1996-01-20 | South Africa |
1–0 | Angola |
Group A | 30,000 |
| 1996-01-24 | South Africa |
0–1 | Egypt |
Group A | 20,000 |
| 1996-01-25 |  Zaire |
2–0 |  Liberia |
Group C | 3,000 |
| 1996-01-27 | South Africa |
2–1 |  Algeria |
Quarter-finals | 80,000 |
| 1996-01-31 | South Africa |
3–0 |  Ghana |
Semi-finals | 80,000 |
| 1996-02-03 | Ghana |
0–1 |  Zambia |
Third place match | 80,000 |
| 1996-02-03 | South Africa |
2–0 |  Tunisia |
Final | 80,000 |
2010 World Cup
The stadium hosted the opening ceremony followed by the opening match between South Africa and Mexico, 4 other group stage matches, a Round of 16 match, a quarter-final and the final.
| Date | Time (UTC+02) | Team #1 | Res. | Team #2 | Round | Attendance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010-06-11 | 16.00 | South Africa |
1–1 |  Mexico |
Group A (opening match) | 84,490 |
| 2010-06-14 | 13.30 |  Netherlands |
2–0 |  Denmark |
Group E | 83,465 |
| 2010-06-17 | 13.30 |  Argentina |
4–1 |  South Korea |
Group B | 82,174 |
| 2010-06-20 | 20.30 |  Brazil |
3–1 |  Ivory Coast |
Group G | 84,455 |
| 2010-06-23 | 20.30 | Ghana |
0–1 |  Germany |
Group D | 83,391 |
| 2010-06-27 | 20.30 | Argentina |
3–1 | Mexico |
Round of 16 | 84,377 |
| 2010-07-02 | 20.30 |  Uruguay |
1–1 (4–2 on pen.) | Ghana |
Quarter Finals | 84,017 |
| 2010-07-11 | 20.30 | Netherlands |
0–1 (aet) |  Spain |
Final | 84,490 |
2013 African Cup of Nations
FNB Stadium served as a venue for the tournament. It hosted the opening game, one group game and the final. The games were:
| Date | Team #1 | Res. | Team #2 | Round | Attendance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2013-01-19 | South Africa |
0–0 |  Cape Verde |
Group A (opening match) | 50,000 |
| 2013-01-19 | Angola |
0–0 |  Morocco |
Group A | 25,000 |
| 2013-02-10 |  Nigeria |
1–0 |  Burkina Faso |
Final | 85,000 |
Football
International football
FNB stadium has been used by the South African national football team for both friendlies and qualification matches. This has led to the stadium being seen as the de facto 'national stadium' for football.
The stadium has also hosted large continental club fixtures. It was the venue for the first leg of the 1995 African Cup of Champions Clubs final, between Orlando Pirates and ASEC Abidjan. The stadium has also hosted the CAF Super Cup twice. It hosted the 1994 CAF Super Cup, between Zamalek and Al-Ahly, as well as the 1996 CAF Super Cup between Orlando Pirates and JS Kabylie. In 2004, the stadium hosted final of the Vodacom Challenge, between AS Vita Club and Kaizer Chiefs.
Local football
The FNB Stadium is home to Kaizer Chiefs Football Club. It is also the preferred venue for the Soweto derby football matches involving Soweto based Premier Soccer League clubs, Kaizer Chiefs and Orlando Pirates. It was also the traditional home of the Telkom Charity Cup from 1990 to 2006, before it was closed for renovations. The Charity Cup then returned in 2010. The stadium also hosted the 2010 Nedbank Cup final South Africa's premier football cup, this was the stadium's first event since re-opening. Bidvest Wits and Amazulu contested the final. The game ended 3-0 to Bidvest Wits. Fabricio Rodrigues was the first player to score at the new Soccer City. The first league match at the stadium since being rebuilt, was a 2010-11 Premier Soccer League match between Orlando Pirates and Free State Stars. The first MTN 8 match at the stadium was the first leg of the 2010 MTN 8 semifinal, between Orlando Pirates and Kaizer Chiefs.
Rugby
FNB stadium hosted its first rugby union match in 2010, the Tri Nations match between South Africa and New Zealand, won by the latter. The attendance was 94,713.[11] The stadium hosted New Zealand again in the 2012 Rugby Championship on 6 October.
Concerts
| Band/artist | Tour | Date | Attendance |
|---|---|---|---|
| U2 | U2 360° Tour | 13 February 2011 | 100,000[12] |
| Neil Diamond | Concert Tour 2011 | 2 April 2011 | |
| Coldplay | Mylo Xyloto Tour | 8 October 2011[A] | 62,000[13] |
| Kings of Leon | Come Around Sundown World Tour | 29 October 2011 | 60,000[14] |
| Linkin Park | Living Things World Tour | 10 November 2012 | 63 000[15] |
| Lady Gaga | Born This Way Ball | 30 November 2012 | 56,900[16] |
| Red Hot Chili Peppers | I'm With You World Tour | 2 February 2013 | 65,000[17] |
| Metallica | 2013 Vacation Tour | 27 April 2013 | >40,000[18] |
| Bon Jovi | Because We Can - The Tour | 11 May 2013 | 65,182[19] |
| Justin Bieber | Believe Tour | 12 May 2013 | 62,000[20] |
| Rihanna | Diamonds World Tour | 13 October 2013 | 67,000 |
| Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band | 2014 World Tour | 1 February 2014 |
^ A The Coldplay concert was a rehearsal concert in preparation for their Mylo Xyloto Tour. As part of the concert, they filmed scenes for the music video for their song "Paradise".
See also
References
- ^ Soccer City architect Populous
- ^ "Soccer City". FIFA. Retrieved 30 June 2008.
{{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter:|coauthors=(help) - ^ "The African Pot Takes Shape". Retrieved 7 July 2010.
- ^ a b 2010 FIFA World Cup – Soccer City. In: fifa.com. Retrieved 2010-06-10.
- ^ [1][dead link]
- ^ a b "Soccer City is ready for play". 23 October 2009. Retrieved 23 March 2010. [dead link]
- ^ "Stadia". South African Football Association. Retrieved 30 June 2008.
{{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter:|coauthors=(help) - ^ "2010 lead stadium work begins". SAinfo. 18 January 2007. Retrieved 30 June 2008.
{{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter:|coauthors=(help) - ^ "World Cup: One year to go". BBC News. 11 June 2009. Retrieved 18 June 2009.
- ^ "Take a seat at Soccer City". Retrieved 23 March 2010.
- ^ SA Rugby. 21 August 2010. http://www.sarugby.co.za/matchbreakdown.aspx?id=18371. Retrieved 14 September 2010.
- ^ U2 in Johannesburg - the real greatest show on earth http://dailymaverick.co.za/article/2011-02-14-u2-in-johannesburg-the-real-greatest-show-on-earth
- ^ Coldplay makes Joburg paradise http://mg.co.za/article/2011-10-09-coldplay-makes-joburg-paradise
- ^ Kings of Leon: anything but a royal performance http://dailymaverick.co.za/article/2011-10-31-kings-of-leon-anything-but-a-royal-performance
- ^ Thousands attend Linkin Park concert http://ewn.co.za/2012/11/11/Thousands-attend-Linkin-Park-concert
- ^ "Billboard Boxscore". Billboard. 124 (51). New York City, New York: Prometheus Global Media. 5 January 2013. ISSN 0006-2510. Archived from the original on 7 January 2013. Retrieved 7 January 2013.
- ^ Red Hot Chili Peppers electrify FNB stadium http://www.rollingstone.co.za/musicrev/item/2139-report-red-hot-chili-peppers-electrify-fnb-stadium
- ^ Metallica pulls Johannesburg's strings http://www.timeslive.co.za/entertainment/music/2013/04/29/the-master-of-puppets-metallica-pulls-johannesburg-s-strings
- ^ "Because We Can (concert tour)". Retrieved 23 July 2013.
- ^ Bieber busts Jozi ticket bank http://www.timeslive.co.za/thetimes/2012/12/11/bieber-busts-jozi-ticket-bank
External links
