| Kenyan officials banned for unethical behaviour - 24/01/2008 |
The FIFA Ethics Committee, under the chairmanship of Lord Sebastian Coe (England), announced its decision to ban three former Kenyan officials from taking part in any football-related activity for unethical behaviour and bribery as a result of their involvement in the irregularities surrounding the selection of Kenyan referees and assistant referees for the 2007 Fifa List of International Referees. Former General Secretary of the Kenya Football Federation (KFF) Daniel Omino and former chairman of the Kenya Football Referees Association Wycliffe Ogutu each received five-year bans while former treasurer of the Kenya Football Referees Association Samson Kawa received a two-year ban. In addition, Alfred Ndinya, the most senior listed FIFA referee from Kenya, was warned about his future conduct on account of his marginal involvement in this case.
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Full press release
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| Alcohol-free stadia for 2010 - 24/01/2008 |
ACDP MP & Whip, Cheryllyn Dudley called for South Africa to have alcohol-free stadiums for the 2010 WC. This was the policy adopted in France during the Rugby World Cup. ’The ACDP commends the organisers of the Rugby World Cup in France who placed a total ban on alcohol at all games, serving alcohol-free beer instead. Spectators, if they even noticed, did not complain and the wisdom was proved in the apparent absence of violence following the World Cup matches.’ The ACDP calls on government to institute major public education campaigns prompting people to think of the consequences of abusing alcohol.
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Full press release
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| Mixed hopes for Bafana - 22/01/2008 |
The Africa Cup of Nations began on Sunday, 20 January in Ghana, and Joburg residents have mixed views on the prospects of SA’s national squad making it through to the final stages of the competition. Bafana Bafana, play their opening game on Wednesday, 23 January against Angola in the Ghanaian town of Tamale. They are in the same group as the continent’s football heavyweights, Tunisia – the 2004 champions – and 2006 semi-finalists Senegal. The most experienced person in the squad is 32-year-old Sibusiso Zuma, one of the few regulars left in the team coach Carlos Alberto Perreira is building ahead of the 2010 WC.
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Full press release
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| Young women called to business forum - 17/01/2008 |
The South African Youth Chamber of Commerce (SAYCC) is calling for aspirant, emerging and established young women in business to join the Young Women-in- Business Forum. According to a BuaNews report, the forum, which will be meeting on Saturday, exposes young women to funding and procurement opportunities. They will also be informed of business development services available from various agencies in the private sector and government. The SAYCC is one of the founding partners of the Youth Entrepreneurship Campaign 2010, which aims to create awareness and increase the total entrepreneurship activity among the youth.
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Full BuaNews report
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| Volunteers sought for 2010 WC - 15/01/2008 |
Many ordinary South Africans will be able to be directly involved in the organisation of the 2010 WC through a volunteer programme set to be launched in March. Under the programme thousands of volunteers will be recruited for the Fifa 2009 Confederations Cup and the World Cup the following year, says Onke Mjo, the volunteer programme manager of the 2010 LOC. The LOC plans to recruit ordinary people and specialists in various fields to work as volunteers. There are also plans to use disabled people. The specialists will include medical practitioners, translators, people from the legal fraternity and information technology experts.
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Full press release
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| SADC airlines prepare for 2010 - 07/01/2008 |
Air Botswana will partake in a cross-regional airlines meeting this month to strategise for the 2010 football World Cup to be held in South Africa. The national airlines General Manager, Lance Brogden confirmed that: we have been invited and will certainly participate although we do not have the agenda right now.
Also, expected at the Zimbabwe meeting are experts from 24 countries from SADC and the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa. About three million tourists are expected to visit Africa for the world soccer showcase, the biggest single-sport event in the world.
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Full press release
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| Bafana defender released due to injury - 06/01/2008 |
Bafana Bafana defender Vuyo Mere has been released from camp by coach Carlos Alberto Parreira; and Bloemfontein Celtic’s Tumelo Nhlapo has arrived in camp to replace him. According to Team Doctor, Ephraim Nematswerani, the player was released because of a serious ankle injury that he carried from his club Mamelodi Sundowns. ’The injury is so serious that it will take up to six weeks to heal,’ says Nematswerani. Coach Parreira regrets the release of the player. ’It’s unfortunate. He is a talented and experienced player, with a lot to offer to his country. However, when a player is injured in this manner, then such decisions have to be taken in football. However, I am equally happy with Nhlapo who is also a good player. I am confident that he will honour the call up well and do all he can to make SA proud,’ says Parreira.
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| Medical Centre accredited by Fifa - 23/12/2007 |
The Centre for Exercise Science and Sports Medicine at Wits
University has been accredited as a Fifa Centre of Medical Excellence
with a view to ensuring that players in the country and on the
continent know where to go for expert football medical care. This is
only one of six such centres accredited by Fifa in the world, and the
only Fifa accredited medical centre in Africa.
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Full Media Release
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| NPA must set the record straight - 13/12/2007 |
The IFP calls on the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) to stop keeping the public in the dark on whether or not they are planning to arrest National Police Commissioner Jackie Selebi. The fact of the matter is that the Scorpions did obtain a warrant of arrest against Commissioner Selebi over his alleged involvement in the criminal underworld. As the Head of Interpol this issue doesn’t just affect SA, it also has international repercussions. We call on the NPA to make their findings public as soon as possible. For the sake of the 2010 WC and our international image we need clarity on this issue right now.
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Full press release
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| City aims for a green WC - 07/12/2007 |
The environment will be a primary beneficiary of World Cup legacy projects, with a number of greening projects planned, but it will not be the only winner after 2010. Over and above the tourism opportunities and infrastructural gains expected from hosting the 2010 WC, Johannesburg has identified various legacy programmes that will benefit communities long after the tournament is over. The Johannesburg Greening Agenda is one such programme, resulting in a sustainable environmental legacy. It involves recycling rubble from the old Orlando Stadium and Soccer City, using it for building the new facilities.
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Full press release
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| Celebrating a spirit of national Unity and Reconciliation - 07/12/2007 |
The Minister of Arts and Culture, Dr Pallo Jordan will host a day long festival not only to bring the people of the country together but to celebrate the triumph of the human spirit over our conflicted past. The event, dubbed ’Reconciliation towards hosting a successful 2010 Fifa World Cup’, will take place at the Union Buildings in Tshwane on 16 December. It promises to provide a platform for the diverse and multicultural people of SA and other parts of the world to share and exchange cultural experience. ’This event is intended to bring the diverse and multicultural people of this nation together to celebrate the triumph of our democracy.’ It will lay the groundwork of the vibe and spirit of togetherness that should characterise the Fan Parks during the WC.
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Full press release
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| Council approves R300m for fibre optic network - 07/12/2007 |
The Council of the City of Cape Town has committed itself to a R300m investment in a fibre optic network. Belinda Walker, Mayoral Committee Member for Corporate Services and Human Resources, whose portfolio includes telecommunications, says: ’Cape Town is the first major city in SA to adopt such a plan. Whilst others have either built small networks for their own use, or are planning to offer telecommunications services themselves, Cape Town will build the basic infrastructure, and then invite telecommunications companies to use it to offer services to the public. In this way the private sector will be involved in running the network, whist the City will keep control of the asset so that it cannot be monopolised.’ The project is also aligned with the telecommunication requirements for the 2010 WC.
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Full press release
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| Official opening of Visitors Centre - 03/12/2007 |
Soccer celebrities and key people involved in 2010 WC will attend the official opening of the Green Point Stadium’s Visitors Centre on Tuesday, 4 December 2007 by Executive Mayor Helen Zille. Guests will include Andrew Fanton, Project Director: Green Point Stadium Project, Murray and Roberts/WBHO and Western Cape 2010 ambassadors Lennie Kleintjies, Duncan Crowe, Roger Links, Ray Ellis and Achmat Sallie. Visitors will be able to see the construction site and progress with the 68 000 multi-purpose stadium from a viewing platform. There will also be an audio-visual and industrial theatre presentation, an exhibition of soccer related items and a model of the stadium. The Centre has a 150-seater auditorium and a boardroom.
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Full press release
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| New fire trucks for Mandela Bay - 01/12/2007 |
Six new fire fighting vehicles were handed over to the Nelson Mandela Safety and Security Directorate as part of its programme to improve service delivery and to be ready for the 2010 WC. Safety and Security portfolio Councillor, Mahlubi Biyana, said by purchasing the fire fighting vehicles the Directorate was hoping to deliver a quicker and more efficient service to the city’s residents.
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Full press release
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| Edgars to operate official 2010 stores - 21/11/2007 |
The preparations for the Official 2010 World Cup stores is moving into gear with today’s appointment of Edgars as official operator in the host country. The official event stores will be located within 160 branches of Edgars throughout SA, with the first shop scheduled to open ahead of the preliminary draw in Durban on Sunday. The agreement also includes the right to produce official licensed merchandise for the event. Edgars will act on behalf of Fifa’s master licensee, Global Brands. ’Their vast experience in creating excitement at point of sale provides a great platform to communicate the passion and enthusiasm of local and visiting fans through the availability of high-quality products in the countdown to the actual kick-off in June 2010,’ said FIFA General Secretary Jérôme
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Valcke.
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| Shilowa to launch provincial disaster management centre - 19/11/2007 |
In preparation for the 2010 WC and for the day-to-day operations of the provincial disaster and emergency services, the Gauteng Provincial Government will officially launch the Provincial Disaster Management Centre and the Provincial Emergency Management Medical Services on 21 November 2007. The R50m state-of-the-art centre situated in Midrand, Johannesburg will be officially opened by Gauteng Premier Mbhazima Shilowa and Local Government MEC Qedani Dorothy Mahlangu and Health MEC Brian Hlongwa. The Gauteng Disaster and Emergency Management Medical Centres are aimed to co-ordinate all disaster and emergencies related issues in the province. Mahlangu said the Premier has expressed excitement that Gauteng has finally responded to the challenges of dealing with issues of disaster in an integrated and coordinated fashion.
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Full press release
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| Major renovations for Lesotho stadium - 19/11/2007 |
At least M30 million will be used for the renovation of eastern and western wings of Setsoto stadium starting in February next year.
Responding to questions in the National Assembly , Lesotho’s Minister of Gender and Youth, Sports and Recreation, ’Mathabiso Lepono, said the renovation is expected to end by December 2008 if there are no disruptions. ’The renovation does not include other northern and southern wings of the stadium, where steel seats had been erected, since that part is still on planning stage,’ she highlighted. The Minister pointed out that the resurfacing of artificial work currently going on at Setsoto does not have anything to do with the 2010 World Cup.
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Full Lesotho Government report
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| Fans urged to use park-and-ride facilities - 15/11/2007 |
Park-and-ride facilities have been organised for soccer fans travelling to Saturday’s game between Bafana Bafana and the USA as part of a scheme to avoid congestion on the roads leading to the Ellis Park Stadium. The City’s transportation department has partnered with the SA Rail Commuter Corporation (SARCC) to provide secure parking, buses and taxis for the hundreds of spectators attending the match. The park-and-ride project forms part of the City’s Travel Demand Management Plan in preparation for the 2010 WC.
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| Fifa officials to attend SADC conference - 14/11/2007 |
The Department of Trade and Industry (the dti), in partnership with the University of KwaZulu-Natal will host a Southern African Development Community (SADC) Regional Conference on Intellectual Property (IP) Enforcement. The conference will take place at the Southern Sun Elangeni Hotel in Durban from the 20 - 22 November 2007. Senior government officials from South Africa and SADC, academics, lawyers, law enforcement agencies involved in IP enforcement, and IP experts from different intellectual property organisations will attend this conference. It is envisaged that Fifa representatives who will be in Durban for the preliminary draw for 2010 WC will also attend this conference.
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Full press release
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| National Stadium to get more seats - 07/11/2007 |
The envisaged upgrading of stadia in preparation for the 2010 World Cup will see the National Stadium getting more seats. Director of Sports and Recreation, Falcon Sedimo, said they are planning to upgrade the SSKB stadium in Mogoditshane, the National stadium, as well as the University of Botswana (UB) stadium. Sedimo said they have chosen the three stadiums because of their close proximity to hotels with high international standards as teams usually prefer training grounds that are close to their place of residence. Sedimo said his department has already sent the designs to the Department of Buildings and Engineering Services (DBES). DBES will in turn engage a consultant to calculate the cost of the upgrading looking at the design. Then after that they will give us the cost and it is then that we can start planning for upgrading, so at this point I cannot speculate on the cost of the whole process, he said.
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Full press release
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| GEDA promotes soccer business industry in Gauteng - 06/11/2007 |
The Gauteng Economic Development Agency (GEDA) will host a business development seminar that will focus on growing and promoting soccer business industry in the province. Expected at the seminar is current soccer business magnates, industry players in the fields of merchandising, hospitality, media owners and sellers and other related sector players like various manufacturers, contractors and aspirant business people who want to venture into the business of football. ’With the Gauteng Provincial Government acquiring the rights to host Soccerex for the next three years until 2009, there are clear opportunities for Gauteng to gain strong economic growth from providing this platform for business and grow the football industry locally, in order to provide a sustainable industry beyond the 2010 World Cup,’ said GEDA CE Keith Khoza.
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Full press release
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| KZN 2010 Indaba gets under way - 05/11/2007 |
It’s all systems go for KwaZulu-Natal’s second 2010 Indaba to be held at the Inkosi Albert Luthuli International Convention Centre in Durban on 7 and 8 November 2007. The Indaba will be attended by about 400 delegates from the public and private sectors, who will receive feedback on the national and provincial state of readiness to host the 2010 Football World Cup (FWC) as well as deliberate on the 2010 business opportunities in the province. KwaZulu-Natal Premier Sibusiso Ndebele said that the provincial 2010 Indaba is a crucially important platform to ensure that all spheres of government in KwaZulu-Natal work as one team as we prepare to host the 2010 World Cup. ’We have dedicated the first day of the Indaba to outlining government’s 2010 Programmes and ensure that there is synergy across all provincial government departments, the host city and municipalities,’ he said.
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Full press release
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| Return to open bidding procedure for the WC as of 2018 - 29/10/2007 |
As from 2018, the hosting of the FIFA World Cup will cease to be rotated. Under the chairmanship of President Joseph Blatter, the FIFA Executive Committee unanimously passed a decision to abandon the principle (originally introduced in the year 2000) of rotating the men’s World Cup from continent to continent. The confederations whose associations have hosted the two preceding World Cups will not be eligible to bid, however. Consequently, all the associations from Asia, North and Central America and the Caribbean, Oceania and Europe may bid for the 2018 Fifa World Cup. In the medium term, however, Fifa’s sights are set on the 2010 World Cup in South Africa. The next step along the way will be the preliminary draw in Durban on 25 November 2007. The day before, the match schedule for the final competition will be presented to the Fifa organising committee for approval. In Africa, the World Cup preliminary competition will also serve as the qualifying competition for the Africa Cup of Nations 2010. After consulting all of the confederations, additional international match dates were approved for 2008, in accordance with the international match calendar.
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Full press release
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| Mobile and digital to rule by 2010 - 26/10/2007 |
The world-class international broadcasting centre (IBC) planned for Nasrec will be one of the defining features that will make South Africa’s World Cup a truly global event. It is expected that almost four billion spectators will rely on this technology to see the games in 2010. Planning for the IBC started in July, when the cabinet approved Johannesburg’s bid to host the international centre. And the City’s 2010 project office reported on progress on the IBC during an ordinary mayoral committee meeting on 18 October. The City of Johannesburg is finalising the lease agreement for the IBC with Fifa, the international football governing body, confirmed Sibongile Mazibuko, the City’s 2010 executive director. ’We are waiting for the final Fifa green light. The Cabinet has given us its blessing.’
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| ACDP President congratulates Springboks - 24/10/2007 |
ACDP President, Reverend Kenneth Meshoe, MP has sent his hearty congratulations to the Springbok rugby team and Jake White their coach. ’On behalf of everyone in the ACDP, we heartily congratulate the Springbok team for their victory in the World Cup on Saturday night! Congratulations too, to Jake White the coach on their magnificent win. Not only did they play well, but they exemplified sportsmanship on the field and humility in victory. We are very proud of them.’ The glorious Springbok win will help restore the tarnish on South Africa’s international reputation caused by the wanton death of Lucky Dube. The hijacking has left the country reeling. It has seriously lowered our international reputation, already in tatters ahead of the World Cup in 2010, due to the soaring levels of vicious crime.
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Full press release
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| GEDA to promote the business of Soccer in Botswana Expo - 16/10/2007 |
Gaborone, the Gauteng Economic Development Agency (GEDA) will participate at the annual Global Expo, the country’s premier business – to-business exhibition organised in Gaborone, Botswana with South African Development Community (SADC) member countries forming the bulk of the participants. From the 17th – 20th October 2007, in Botswana, GEDA will promote Gauteng’s competitive advantage as a Global City Region to the rest of the continent and further work towards the promotion of joint venture initiatives between Gauteng based companies and those in the region. Key to this promotion will be the ’virgin’ investment area of the business of soccer. With the province selected as the hosts for the world biggest business to business soccer exhibition till 2009, Gauteng is perfectly positioned to help not only the region but the entire continent to grow and sustain this multi-billion rand industry.
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Full press release
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| Will Eskom be ready for 2010? - 15/10/2007 |
The official opposition Democratic Alliance (DA) on Monday announced that it will be submitting questions on the state power utility’s readiness for the 2010 World Cup. DA MP Danie Van Dyk said the recent spate of unannounced power outages, euphemistically referred to as ’load shedding’, has brought Eskom’s ability to manage the security of electricity supply during the tournament into question. ’I will therefore be submitting questions to Public Enterprises Minister Alec Erwin, as the government’s shareholder manager, to explain what steps Eskom is taking to ensure that it will be prepared to meet the power generation demands of the 2010 event.’ He said given the current situation, there exists a real danger that South Africa will be left in the dark if proper precautions and back-up plans that make sufficient provision for all contingencies are not put in place. ’We simply cannot allow that such chaos over the management of electricity supply put the 2010 World Cup in jeopardy.’
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Full press release
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| Soccer City construction on track - 11/10/2007 |
Construction work at Soccer City in Nasrec - the venue for the opening ceremony and opening and final matches of the 2010 World Cup - is progressing well and is already 18% complete. This was the word of the chief communications officer of the 2010 LOC, Tim Modise, after a tour of the construction site by a Fifa and LOC delegation. Modise said work at Soccer City was expected to be completed by May 2009, five months ahead of the Fifa deadline. The stadium is being revamped at a cost of R1.5bn, with seating increasing from the present 70 000 to 94 000. Fifa’s head of media operations, Alan Leiblang, said he was ’very happy’ with the progress at the stadium.
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| Transport vital to 2010 success - 09/10/2007 |
Transport and roads infrastructure are critical if the country is to host a successful football World Cup in 2010. This was emphasised by the MEC for safety liaison, roads and transport, Thobile Mhlahlo, at the 2010 World Cup Transport Plan Summit held in Port Elizabeth in the Nelson Mandela Metropole. ’The government has identified transport and infrastructure as critical areas for a successful tournament and the provincial government’s department of roads and transport is committed to ensuring that the required state of readiness of the transport system in the province is achieved,’ Mhlahlo said. With Nelson Mandela Bay hosting games during the tournament, and Buffalo City and King Sabatha Dalindyebo (Mthatha) being team base camps, Mhlahlo said his officials were serving on all three metropolitan transport advisory boards to provide the necessary leadership in transport planning. ’The integrated transport plans of these municipalities form part of our updated Provincial Land Transport Framework and the Integrated Transport Masterplan, which are our guiding documents for 2010 transport planning.’
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Full press release
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| Soccer City revamp on track - 09/10/2007 |
The 2010 LOC chief communications officer, Tim Modise says the construction work at Soccer City Stadium in Soweto was progressing ’so well’. He said currently the progress was at 18% which was well ahead of schedule. ’We expected everything to be completed by May 2009 - five months ahead of the Fifa deadline,’ said Modise during a Fifa inspection tour of the stadium. He said the stadium’s roof was expected to be delivered from Italy early next year. The stadium is undergoing the R1.5bn revamp that will see its capacity increased from the current 70 000 to 94 500 seats, all under a roof, leaving the soccer pitch itself open to the sunlight. The revamped stadium will sport a new African look, inspired by traditional pottery designs.
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Full press release
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