The Cape Town Stadium is a football stadium which was built for the purpose of hosting matches and boosting the sporting infrastructure in lieu of the 2010 FIFA World Cup. The stadium was previously known as the Green Point Stadium during the process of planning.
The stadium is also the home to premier Soccer League clubs Ajax Cape Town and Cape Town City. The stadium known for its eloquent design is managed and maintained by the city of Cape Town itself.
Designed by German architects Von Gerkan, Marg und Partner, Cape Town Stadium has a total capacity of 55,000.
Cape Town has one of the most scenic landscape for any football ground across the globe, with the Table Mountains in the background which gives the stadium altogether a different feel and enhances the field of view.
History
The stadium was built adjacent to the previously present 18,000-seater Green Point Stadium. The construction for the stadium began in March 2007 and took a time period of 33 months for the joint contractors Murray & Roberts and WBHO who completed the project at a cost of approximately $600 million.
In an official ceremony in front of 200 invited guests, the stadium was officially handed over to the city of Cape Town on 14th December 2009. The keys of the stadium were now in the hands of the Cape Town Executive Mayor Alderman Dan Plato, who confirmed the opening of the Cape Town Stadium.
The first game which was played in the stadium was a Cape Town derby match between Ajax Cape Town and Santos on 23rd January 2010.
Major Matches
The stadium was one of the main venues during the 2010 FIFA World Cup. The stadium hosted five first-round matches, one second round, one quarter-final, and one semi-final match.
It has also hosted a few international friendlies, the first one being a match between South Africa and the USA. The match was played as a part of the Nelson Mandela Challenge Trophy.
The stadium has also been a host to a few rugby matches, which includes hosting the World Rugby Seven Series in 2015. There has been a speculation going on in the air for a long time, considering whether the Super Rugby team Stormers would move to the Cape Town Stadium.
Controversies
Cape Town Stadium has received some massive criticism for its capacity. After the 2010 World Cup, it mostly holds around 55,000 people, which also includes the extra 15,000 seats installed on a temporary basis at the top tier.
Despite several attempts on the part of the administration, there are no tenants to find for holding games in the stadium for either football or rugby. The stadium has just become nothing but a simple showpiece covering a large area in the heart of the city.
The stadium is generating losses for the administration, which only adds to the existing woes of the people. A number of individuals and groups have come out to voice their concerns over the underutilization of the stadium after the 2010 World Cup.
There has been a continuous cry to demolish the city, however, the city’s politics remain divided on this issue.
