Soccer City Stadium

he stadium provides 80,000 plastic bucket seats, and has a 2 metre "moat" to protect the players from the fans.

Soccer City Stadium before the upgrading

Upgrade for Soccer World Cup 2010

The upper tier will be extended around the stadium and 99 corporate boxes added, to increase the capacity to 94,700. An encircling roof will be added, looking like a giant calabash shell (the calabash is a hollowed out plant which was commonly used to brew beer in - given South Africa's alcohol problem, the shape is probably appropriate).

New floodlights will be installed and new changing rooms will be developed. There are thoughts of increasing the capacity further to 100,000. The upgrade, which commenced in September 2006 to complete the plan started in 1989 is scheduled to be completed by April 2007.

Artist's impression of the revamped Soccer City Stadium