A look at South Africa

Not sure about you, but I was so into the World Cup. Seeing as they have to play somewhere, here is a look at the venues for the 2010 World Cup.

Soccer City Stadium/ Johannesburg/ 94,700
Built in 1986, Soccer City Stadium had a capacity of 80,000 seats, and hosted some matches from the 1996 African Cup of Nations. Renovated for the world cup, it took on a completely new look. It resembles an African cooking pot on the fire. Which explains the bronze coloured panels, with red fire like panels mixed in. SSC will host the first and last matches of the 2010 World Cup

Moses Mabhida Stadium/ Durban/ 70,000
Opened specifically for the World Cup, Moses Mabhida Stadium is tied for 2nd largest stadium hosting games. It resembles Wembley Stadium, in the sense that both have large arches going over. The Stadium was named after Moses Mabhida.

Green Point Stadium/ Cape Town/ 70,000
This new stadium, finished in 2009, was built ontop of the area where the previous Green Point Stadium was located. It is also covered with noise-reducing cladding, for Vuvuzelas.

Ellis Park Stadium/ Johannesburg/ 62,500
The second stadium in Jo-burg is mostly known for the upset at the 1995 Rugby World Cup, where South Africa upset the New Zealand All Blacks. The movie Invictus was based on it.

Loftus Versfeld Stadium/Petoria/ 50,000
Originally built in 1906, Loftus is the oldest stadium in South Africa. 6 games were hosted there this month. 5 group play games, and 1 round of 16 games. One of those games happened to be the USA-Algeria match, which was awesome.

Nelson Mandella Bay Stadium/ Port Elizibeth/ 46,000
Named after Nelson Mandella, obviously, the South African President during the Apartheid. Another stadium built for the cup, which broke ground in 2007. The roof is made up of a series of white 'petals' making it look like a flower. This is the reason for the stadium's nickname, The Sunflower.

Free State Stadium/ Bloemfontein/ 45,000

Free State Stadium was built for the '95 Rugby World Cup. This was the site of the USA's 2-0 victory over Spain in the Confederations Cup. A second tier of seats has been added since. year.

Peter Mokaba Stadium/ Polokwane/ 45,000
Opened for the World Cup, the stadium's design was inspired by the iconic baobab tree. Also named after Peter Mokaba, a former leader of the ANC Youth League

Royal Bafokeng Stadium/ Phokeng/ 42,000This stadium was opened in 1999. A new roof was added with renovations, but still remained the second smallest stadium in the field. The US played 2 games here. One vs England, one against Ghana.

Mbombela Stadium/ Nelspruit/ 40,929
The smallest stadium, just happens to be my favorite. It has metal Giraffes around the outside, and the seats have a zebra pattern. Mbombela means "Many people together in a small space" in the Swahili language.