Monday, 1 March 2010

Mbombela stadium - Pitch problems

Local Organising Committee (LOC) CEO Dr Danny Jordaan has "no doubt" that South Africa's preparations for the FIFA World Cup - about 100 days away - are going according to plan and that all tickets will be sold.
"We are comfortable with the preparations so far," he told Engineering News Online on the sidelines of a media tour at Rustenburg's Royal Bafokeng Sports Palace, which will host five first-round matches and a semifinal game.
In preparation for the soccer event, the Royal Bafokeng stadium has increased its capacity from 39 000 to 44 389 and now boasts 24 suites, new electronic scoreboards, floodlights and a public address system.
Jordaan said the LOC was still finalising agreements to ensure that enough electricity would be available and that information and communication technology (ICT) would be ready for the event, which starts on June 11.
His comments came amidst concerns about pitch of the Mbombela stadium, in Mpumalanga, but LOC and FIFA officials insisted that the venue would be ready for the World Cup.
Last year, FIFA advised the municipality to remove the pitch's grass, as it did not meet the required standards. Three attempts have been made to lay the pitch, but without success.
It will take about six to eight weeks to grow the pitch and at the moment it is ready for seeding.
"We did not want a good pitch, but the greatest one that will conform to all world standards," said FIFA secretary general Jerome Valcke.

Jordaan pointed out that the Mbombela stadium was new, which gives it flexibility and the opportunity to continue with uninterrupted work to ensure that it was ready for the event.
Eight teams have been approached to play their Nedbank Cup or Telkom Cup games at the venue to test the quality of the pitch.
Mpumalanga Premier David Mabuza said that the new Mbombela stadium used 100% local content and that it had experienced no cost escalations.