- Title: SOUTH AFRICA: FOOTBALL/SOCCER - Ellis Park has been upgraded for World Cup
- Date: 2nd December 2009
- Summary: PEOPLE GATHERED AROUND NELSON MANDELA STATUE IN NELSON MANDELA SQUARE
- Embargoed: 17th December 2009 12:00
- Keywords:
- Location: South Africa
- Country: South Africa
- Topics: Sports
- Reuters ID: LVA3DHFLGRXDEX7LNCT4HXZE5Y4T
- Story Text: Ellis Park is one of two Johannesburg stadiums hosting World Cup matches.
Johannesburg, or the City of Gold as it is known in South Africa, is the country's business hub, contributing a substantial part of the GDP -- approximately 12%.
The city is home to two of the country's most popular football teams and arch-rivals: Kaizer Chiefs and Orlando Pirates.
Johannesburg is also known as the economic engine of southern Africa and the trendsetter of South Africa. It is a melting pot laced with all the flavours of African cultures and beyond.
Despite the hustle and bustle of the big city, Jo'burg is unexpectedly green and orientated towards outdoor living. It has a wealth of trees creating an 'urban forest' and 2,328 parks.
Cultural wealth is also in abundance, with a host of interesting museums including the Apartheid Museum, Constitution Hill.
A famous rugby stadium built in 1928 and reconstructed in 1982, Ellis Park has since been upgraded. It will host seven world cup matches, including a quarter-final.
Ellis Park was used for the final of the 1995 Rugby World Cup, when Nelson Mandela's appearance in a Springbok jersey to support the triumphant national team had a profound impact in winning over the country's whites a year after the end of apartheid.
The stadium is located in the centre of Johannesburg and has hosted many other epic sporting events, including the final of the 2009 FIFA Confederations Cup between Brazil and the United States.
The ground was given a significant face-lift before the Confederations Cup finals and now seats 62,000 fans, increasing its capacity by almost nine per cent from the previous 57,000.
The largest piece of construction has been the new tier on the north stand. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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