Though the shiny new Soccer City gets the privilege to host the tournament’s two biggest matches, Johannesburg’s other World Cup 2010 venue, Coca-Cola Park, will have more than its share of action.
Coca-Cola Park played host to five matches in the 2009 Confederations Cup, including the exciting final between Brazil and the United States, and it will host seven World Cup ties – five group stage matches, one round of 16 match, and one quarterfinal.
The stadium was opened in 1928 and named Ellis Park Stadium after J.D. Ellis, who made it possible for the stadium to be built. In the eight decades that the stadium has been up, it’s been home to football, rugby, and cricket, and along with hosting the aforementioned Confederations Cup final, Ellis Park hosted the final of the 1995 Rugby World Cup between New Zealand and South Africa.
In 2008, Coca-Cola signed off on a $58 million naming rights deal that changed the stadium’s name to what it’s now known as. Coca-Cola Park is the regular home of Premier Soccer League side Orlando Pirates and rugby union sides Lions and Golden Lions, and it‘s also used for concerts.
On a darker note, the stadium was also the site of the worst sporting disaster in South African history. On April 11, 2001, during a match between Orlando Pirates and rival Kaizer Chiefs, 42 football fans lost their lives in a stampede.
See all 2010 World Cup Stadiums.
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