NAME: Orlando Stadium
USE: Sports Stadium
STATUS: Under construction

http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u115/Puleza_2007/P1000794-1.jpg


Project description
The new Orlando stadium will have a con-temporary design that will make it a landmark in Soweto and will be one of the official training grounds for the 2010 soccer World Cup.

The project involves the construction of a new 40 000-seat stadium on the site of the old Orlando soccer stadium, with a partial roof. In addition, provision will be made for 280 wheelchair-bound spectators. Access to the various levels of the stadium will be by elevators or ramps, each access ramp being some 5 m to 6 m in width; stairs will exist only within each level and solely for the spectators to reach their seats.

Colour-coded spiral towers will serve to guide spectators to the entrance corresponding to the ticket colour.
The intention is to make the facility a multi-purpose stadium.

Besides other things, the stadium will include new features, such as electronic screens, medical rooms for injured players and conference rooms.

Once complete, the stadium will be in line with international standards and Fifa requirements.

Value
R284-million.

Duration
The project is expected to be complete by May 2008.

Breakdown of main contracts
None stated.

Client
The City of Johannesburg.

Latest developments
Contract winner for the Orlando stadium, Grinaker-LTA Building Inland, is making good progress on the project. The company is casting 2 000 m3/w of off-shutter coffer slab, and is on schedule for a completion date in May 2008.

Under a separate contract, Protech Khuthele demolished the old stadium, and handled the earthworks and the platforms.

Participants
Grianker-LTA (contractor), Protech Khuthele (demolition, earthworks and platforms), GEL (subcontractor to pile fill section), Platinum Sports Consulting (sports stadium design), Afro Architectural and WMS Architects (architects).

Construction materials
Three thousand precast raked beams, 65% of the stadium footprint comprising fill, and 284 piles driven to find bedrock.

On budget and on time?
The project is making good progress.

Contact details for project information
Grinaker-LTA Building Inland,
tel (011) 578 6200 or fax (011) 578 6364.

eish it is beautiful

if i may add...along with athlone stadium our training venues arent looking bad at all.

Update:

http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u115/Puleza_2007/P1020240.jpg
http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u115/Puleza_2007/P1020241.jpg

Please add these images to the 2010 FIFA World CUp thread

Thanks for the images

I like the cows

yeah im suprised the stadium roof does not have black and white blotches all over it to resemble a cow

Maybe the cows can get the stadium car guard concession. :lol:

as much as i am concerned about the stadium and its development I am more concerned about the area surrounding the stadium, from experience around the athlone stadium, its more important how the area around it is developed and improved in the long run...as before i suggest tons of trees and improved public spaces along with adequate areas for public transport. From the image it seems as if that is sort of implemented but its usually just the stadium that gets built with the surrounds taking second place

http://farm1.static.flickr.com/229/499471763_52350555ae_o.jpg

http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u115/Puleza_2007/P1030648.jpg
http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u115/Puleza_2007/P1030654.jpg
http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u115/Puleza_2007/P1030656.jpg

http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1046/664843581_5e4dfd5524_b.jpg

They "pillars" for the eastern side of Orlando Stadium are up. About 4 cranes working there.

Great stadium.

they just building stadiums here and there...damn.......they need to get rid of those slums in SA b4 the world cup and build new houses for those people living there.

here and there? do you know how long orlando stadium has a been a venue for soccer in SA? this stadium was barely a stadium and based on its history it deserves its massive overhaul

they just building stadiums here and there...damn.......they need to get rid of those slums in SA b4 the world cup and build new houses for those people living there.

SA is a very complicated country with a complex history and a lot of contradictions. With a budget of more than
$6 billion for low cost housing, its not like, the housing ministry is short of cash to build houses for the poor. The challenges are more on delivering the houses fast enough and actually creating jobs so the people can also get their own houses. Yes as Mo Rush alluded, Orlando stadium has long been the hope of black people in Soweto who aspired to be soccer stars. Many SA soccer stars came from this stadium and played in this dusty venue and it deserves this upgrade more than any other stadium, if FIFA 2010 World Cup is to leave a legacy especially on the black poor majority.

Now that makes me sound like i am ready to be elected the next SA president, LOL

Forgive my ignorance......I just dont wanna see the rich gettin richer and poor gettin poorer..... i see some other stadiums being built like the one for kaizer chiefs....so i wanted to vent my opinion.
But i just hope they clear the slums in and around SA....cuz u know the U.S media is not gonna paint SA as a rosy country...they will show the conditions of people living in the slums...and thats how americans are brainwashed.

They did this piece on CNN when Bush went to SA....this CNN reporter visited soweto and he said they even have ATM machines....as if they are not people and they are not suppose to have it.

kaizer chiefs is being privately funded for their new stadium. this doesnt affect me as a taxpayer. kaizer chiefs can have their own stadium

Forgive my ignorance......I just dont wanna see the rich gettin richer and poor gettin poorer..... i see some other stadiums being built like the one for kaizer chiefs....so i wanted to vent my opinion.
But i just hope they clear the slums in and around SA....cuz u know the U.S media is not gonna paint SA as a rosy country...they will show the conditions of people living in the slums...and thats how americans are brainwashed.

They did this piece on CNN when Bush went to SA....this CNN reporter visited soweto and he said they even have ATM machines....as if they are not people and they are not suppose to have it.

That's the American mentality and that proves how short-sighted they are. But I guess the main issue is not to bother about their comments but just concentrate on making our country and continent one of the best in the world. There are good Americans like Oprah who frequently tells the posetive about our country.

Dennis/Baller/AlwaysGettingBanned totally distorts what that CNN reporter meant. No major Western media provider would hire someone who believes Africans to be sub-human. Major Western media providers are liberal and politically correct to a fault. To imply otherwise is to grossly misunderstand the people involved in those operations.

Soweto appeared constantly on American TV newscasts - from the 1960s until 1994. Given those dates, it should be obvious why Soweto was on American TV news. The images of Soweto presented during that era were a far cry from the increasingly prosperous township that exists now alongside the remaining impoverished residents. As someone who saw those images during the 1980s and 90s, I can tell you that Soweto was shown as a giant, dusty expanse of poverty, crushed daily under the heel of a racist government. It was one of the last places on earth that you'd expect to find an ATM in 1987. (And I doubt very much that the ANC, PAC, etc. would have appreciated it if Western media had gone to Soweto and interviewed nothing but prosperous black residents who happened to make a decent living. That would have undermined somewhat the support that the anti-apartheid movement gained in the West.)

That's the image that most Americans (and let's not single us out, most non-South Africans) had of Soweto. After 1994, SA largely disappeared from our TV screens, particularly in comparison to the almost nightly SA updates we received for so many years leading up to 1994. Obviously that image is no longer true. Sure, there's still poverty, but the reality of Soweto is that there have been many changes. Isn't it far likelier that the CNN reporter showed the ATM as a way of illustrating some of those changes? He/she was returning to a place that Americans used to see often on TV, but had seen little in many years. Given that gap, he was no doubt showing the audience some of the changes that have taken place. To imply that an employee of a major Western broadcaster would use an ATM as a prop to dehumanise a population is silly, particularly given the liberal sympathies of most major Western media outlets. (And what does a lack of ATMs have to do with being human? That's a strange accusation to make, Baller. The overwhelming majority of people in the world live without ATMs.)

No thats not what i meant ....not being human thing....the way they paint africa in general in america......They paint Africa as a jungle so having ATM in soweto was a suprise ....then the next thing the guy did was to interview a dude with hiv......cuz thats all they ever report about africa: poverty, disease and misery.
Put it on CNN..there is never any positive news about Africa in general.....

The media love to report negative stories. It makes no difference whether the negative story happens in Accra, Ghana or Atlanta, Georgia, negative stories (i.e., those about disease, disaster, conflict. etc.) dominate the news - and they tend to attract viewers. (Although the story from Accra needs to be very bad indeed if it's to make headlines halfway around the world.) It's not an anti-African bias. When was the last time you heard positive news on a major American TV network about Russia, or Peru, or South Korea? There's very little positive TV news reporting in general. (And what positive news there is is often of the 'Joe Smith of Chicago turned 108 today' or 'Firemen rescued a drowning moose from a creek in Alberta this afternoon' variety.)

yea but how many times do they report on kids suffering in russia...or in rural china where kids are suffering or in south america.....i think they get a kick out of seeing kids in soweto and other slums in south africa by showing them on tv to people to think thats how they all live....thats all they ever show here...kids in africa suffering..instead of helping them by building schools and helping this kid get educated. How many news have u heard about South Africa in america?? if its not dealing with black/white nor hiv/aids. When i talk about negative news im not talking about a plane crash or a girl gettin kidnapped....im talking about constant showing of young boys and girls living in harsh condition....

I remember when angelina jolie went to namibia to have her kid.....on the tv show jimmy kimmel....they showed namibia as a jungle with lions and show kids living in hut.....when i see pictures of namibia its a beautiful country....cuz thats how brainwashed people here bout africa. And u trying to defend the negative reporting?

There's plenty of bad news about Russia and China in the media. Just today Newsweek has a lengthy online story (which I think appears in the print edition) full of negative implications for China. But even if there weren't such stories, the indisputable fact is that Africa is the poorest continent, bar none. That's an indisputable reality. That reality will necessarily produce more negative stories than positive ones. Combine that reality with the fact that the media prefer negative stories to positive ones, and you've got a situation in which most stories about Africa will be negative. But, as I said, most news stories about any location in the world, are negative. That's just the nature of the beast.

I don't defend negative reporting, I'm merely explaining why it exists and why it's so commonplace. You cry 'racism' and 'brainwashing' when those aren't the reasons behind these stories. Negative reporting is the nature of the media. It attracts an audience. (And even news organisations that aren't driven by profit, such as the BBC or PBS, report far more negative stories than positive ones.) Negative stories are interesting to viewers and readers, because such stories are unusual. Most people will never be infected with HIV/AIDS, or be blown up by a landmine, or have their houses washed away by a hurriance, or be killed by suicide bomber. The relative rarity and foreignness of those events is what makes them interesting to viewers and readers, and that is why such negative stories will always receive more attention. It's not racism or brainwashing.

And if you consider Jimmy Kimmel to be a news show, then you need a serious reality check. He's a comic, pure and simple. He has no duty to be truthful or objective. He could portray Namibia as a snow-covered tundra, and it wouldn't make a bit of difference, because it isn't his duty to reflect reality.

man whatever...

Man stfu....u talk like a fool.

Gents, the thread is about a=Orlando Stadium in Soweto, can we please stick to that. And Umhlanga, I think we all know that bad news sells but how do you justify an American who gets suprised by the large use of cellphones, BMWs, Mercs, higways etc in Africa? Even if news can be negetive, but the American media is just sh*t when coming to reporting about Africa.

Thanks pule...exactly my point....umh just stupid

the same poverty in Russia and Africa will never be reported the same way. LOL

No matter how you spin it, its pretty simple. Africa is a black man's continent and a black man can't do anything good, that's simply how many of the western media agencies sees it and would like it to stay that way. I often think, they really do enjoy the misery. Oh by the way, racism has become so natural to some that they don't even get to realize that they are biased against a certain group because of their race. What can you expect from Africa. Its called racial stereotyping. The denial of its existence is also very often a manifestation of its existence and shows how far it will take us to get to a world without racial discrimination. I know 'cause i experience this all the time and it pisses me off.

Umhlanga is talking out of his azz.......the effects of what the westerners did to the african continent we see the effects today....not only africa but in america too. Of course haters love seeing the dark people suffer in africa.....cuz whats in africa??? they say....too much ego for them to even consider doin business in africa.....cuz u lose more money doing business there.

They purposely show negative images here to make us black americans not to be proud of where we come from....cuz when they show europe ..its bed full of roses...but africa is a piece of garbage...nuff said

Dennis, when did I ever mention any effects of what Westerners did to Africa? I didn't mention them, I didn't explain them, I didn't deny them. And who's 'hating on' Africa? One member of my family built a chemical plant in Africa. We still own properties there. We pay taxes. Many of us visit annually. Hating? I don't think so, and I have spent thousands of dollars of my own money to show that I don't hate Africa. For you to make such an accusation is absolute crap.

And how am I talking out my ass when I explain to you how the media operate? You're the on who imagines a vast racist conspiracy perpetrated by members of the media. If you actually took the time to look at the media, you'd see that they're so liberal and so left-wing as to make the question of anti-African racism as laughable as a skit by Jimmy Kimmel, whom you for some reason think has a duty to portray Africa in an accurate light. These are the same Western media who opposed apartheid for decades, who spent years highlighting the crimes of the National Party, who made Nelson Mandela a global icon, and who touted sanctions as a response to apartheid when many elected Western governments disagreed. These people are racists out to hate Africa?

Again, the media report far more negative news REGARDLESS of where the news happens. Look around you. Watch the news tonight in Houston. Will you hear more about how wonderful life is in River Oaks, or will you hear more about what trouble happened today in the Fifth Ward?

As for the Western media portraying Europe as a bed of roses, perhaps you're too young or ignorant to notice, but have you ever seen portrayals of corruption in Russia, massacres in Chechnya, the violence that used to wrack Northern Ireland, the wars in the former Yugoslavia? All of those are or were major news stories, reported on extensively by major news outlets.

The American media report very little on Africa, and that's regrettable. But it's completely explicable when you consider what little historic, economic & cultural ties there are between Africa and the US. If there were more contact between the US and Africa, if Africa mattered more to the US, then there would be more media coverage. But, again, that coverage would be mostly negative, because the media all over the world prefer negative coverage, because that sells news.

Stop talking out of YOUR ass (or should I call it AZZ so you can understand what I'm saying?). You get banned continually from these forums, and it has become abundantly clear why. And if you wish to continue this argument (and I'm in favour of it, because I think you have much to learn), start another thread. You're very good at starting threads for every trivial matter, so why not start a thread for something a bit more important that what kind of car people want to own.

To the other members of this forum, I apologise tremendously for this outburst, but Dennis' monumental ignorance, and his stunning pride in that ignorance, has driven me crazy. (Which I'm sure is obvious by now.)

alright, i think enough on this topic, lets get back to the actual progress being made in Orland Stadium construction.

haha look at this fool....u dont know me that well to pass judgement on me....but here is a tissue dont cry...nuff said.

haha look at this fool....u dont know me that well to pass judgement on me....but here is a tissue dont cry...nuff said.

Dennis, that's uncalled for, you may differ in opinion with Umhlanga but there is no reason to call him names. Show some respect. We have had a good bunch of peeps on this forum and i think we cant allow a difference of opinion to degenerate into this. So lets behave in a civilized manner and avoid what often happens on the Nigerian threads.

^^ He called me names and i called him back.....so he can make a point....fk outta here. nuff said.

The old Orlando Stadium is an oval. The new Orlando Stadium is a rectangular stadium. the old Orlando Stadium has already been demolished.

The roof on the eastern side are in place, will get pics soon.

Looking forward to it pule!

http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1383/984105335_556b1cd972_o.jpg

Updates: I took them the past weekend

http://i46.photobucket.com/albums/f119/Puleza/P1040353.jpg

http://i46.photobucket.com/albums/f119/Puleza/P1040354.jpg

http://i46.photobucket.com/albums/f119/Puleza/P1040355.jpg

a better view of the current progress

http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1293/1040811275_993f22bf1c_b.jpg

Taken about 2 weeks ago.

http://i46.photobucket.com/albums/f119/Puleza/P1040831.jpg

Coming along nicely I see... ! Soweto is boom town at the moment.

its insane how cheap this stadium is

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2366/1819853851_292660de1d_o.jpg

IT IS SO CHEAP COS IT LOOKS SO CHEAP

IT IS SO CHEAP COS IT LOOKS SO CHEAP

I disagree. The renders are awesome and the roof and faced material are lighter than the grey in the renders. There are no major flood lights outside the stadium so the effect of the single roof and facade material should make for a great sight at night.

http://i129.photobucket.com/albums/p210/rfataar/OrlandoStadium.jpg
http://i129.photobucket.com/albums/p210/rfataar/OrlandoStadium2.jpg

Site visit October 25

http://i129.photobucket.com/albums/p210/rfataar/1-20.jpg
http://i129.photobucket.com/albums/p210/rfataar/2-19.jpg
http://i129.photobucket.com/albums/p210/rfataar/3-20.jpg
http://i129.photobucket.com/albums/p210/rfataar/4-18.jpg
http://i129.photobucket.com/albums/p210/rfataar/5-17.jpg

Thanx MO, great shots.

Update: 08 Novermber 2007



http://i46.photobucket.com/albums/f119/Puleza/P1050496.jpg

grrrr!

http://i46.photobucket.com/albums/f119/Puleza/fixP1050655.jpg




http://i46.photobucket.com/albums/f119/Puleza/fixP1050654.jpg




http://i46.photobucket.com/albums/f119/Puleza/fixP1050653.jpg

My bet is that this stadium will be done before June next year and I hope its gonna be open with a game between Kaizer Chiefs and Orlando Pirates as both teams are coming from Orlando.

i hope this becomes the home of orlando pirates makes way more sense than using ellis park or Johannesburg's stadium as it close to the supports and the location really makes sense then again orlando pirates are shareholders in the ellis park staduim

I share your sentiments.

Update: 12-January-2008

http://i46.photobucket.com/albums/f119/Puleza/P1060727.jpg


http://i46.photobucket.com/albums/f119/Puleza/P1060730.jpg


http://i46.photobucket.com/albums/f119/Puleza/P1060731.jpg


http://i46.photobucket.com/albums/f119/Puleza/P1060740.jpg


http://i46.photobucket.com/albums/f119/Puleza/P1060737.jpg


http://i46.photobucket.com/albums/f119/Puleza/P1060735.jpg


http://i46.photobucket.com/albums/f119/Puleza/P1060742.jpg


http://i46.photobucket.com/albums/f119/Puleza/P1060744.jpg


http://i46.photobucket.com/albums/f119/Puleza/P1060746.jpg


http://i46.photobucket.com/albums/f119/Puleza/P1060750.jpg


http://i46.photobucket.com/albums/f119/Puleza/P1060758.jpg


http://i46.photobucket.com/albums/f119/Puleza/P1060756.jpg

its still a bloody bargain what they paying to build this stadium.

its still a bloody bargain what they paying to build this stadium.

its amazing that there paying just under 300mil for this the good thing about this project is that the people on site have been working hard 2 to get the job done and forgot about things such as strikes and etc

.....once again, great job Pule.......this stadium is growing so fast....hey Pule, is this the one that is clearly visible from N3 from Durban??......

good progress... When's the conpletion date? June, I think it was. Just think the surrounding area lets the stadium down. Hard to imagine teams like England basing themselves there.

Thanks gents, Juanl I think it will be done before June. IN regards to the surrounding I think they gonna working on it as soon as major part of the stadium is done as it will not be feasible to work on the surroundinds while construction vehicles are all over the place.

@ some point they spoke about retail development around the stadium, may be Mo can share the light with us if he knows.

http://i46.photobucket.com/albums/f119/Puleza/Johannesburg/P1080001.jpg

http://i46.photobucket.com/albums/f119/Puleza/Johannesburg/P1080003.jpg

...gee Wiz....they are almost done......and very nice shot with all the greenery!!



.

Update: 28-March-2008

http://i46.photobucket.com/albums/f119/Puleza/Johannesburg/P1080771.jpg

http://i46.photobucket.com/albums/f119/Puleza/Johannesburg/P1080770.jpg

http://i46.photobucket.com/albums/f119/Puleza/Johannesburg/P1080767.jpg

WOW! Great pics Pule. well done

Update: 26-April-2008

http://i46.photobucket.com/albums/f119/Puleza/Johannesburg/P1090092.jpg

http://i46.photobucket.com/albums/f119/Puleza/Johannesburg/P1090094.jpg

http://i46.photobucket.com/albums/f119/Puleza/Johannesburg/P1090099.jpg

http://i46.photobucket.com/albums/f119/Puleza/Johannesburg/P1090100.jpg

http://i46.photobucket.com/albums/f119/Puleza/Johannesburg/P1090101.jpg

http://i46.photobucket.com/albums/f119/Puleza/Johannesburg/P1090090.jpg

Almost complete!

Update: 26-April-2008

http://i46.photobucket.com/albums/f119/Puleza/Johannesburg/P1090092.jpg

http://i46.photobucket.com/albums/f119/Puleza/Johannesburg/P1090094.jpg

http://i46.photobucket.com/albums/f119/Puleza/Johannesburg/P1090099.jpg

http://i46.photobucket.com/albums/f119/Puleza/Johannesburg/P1090100.jpg

http://i46.photobucket.com/albums/f119/Puleza/Johannesburg/P1090101.jpg

http://i46.photobucket.com/albums/f119/Puleza/Johannesburg/P1090090.jpg

that def doesnt look budget to me. FANTASTIC!! the architects have pulled off something amazing. a classic example of a focus on architecture and not pop( ala allianz arena).

Here are some more from http://www.flickr.com

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2119/2444559861_325ec8d63b_o.jpg

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3250/2444560055_e952169722_o.jpg

ARE YOU BLIND? of course it looks budget... that black... that corrugated iron... very Soweto... get what you pay for i guess

ARE YOU BLIND? of course it looks budget... that black... that corrugated iron... very Soweto... get what you pay for i guess

no thats quite nice. if u want to see budget look at the london 2012 olympic stadium for R7.5bn. this venue in soweto is a testament to the fact that great design and architecture is not always dependent on a budget. i've seen enough stadia in my time to make myself dizzy and for the price of this stadium its ability to remain classy in terms of design is quite an achievement. the shiny foil like cover and the metal and trusses is just fantastic.

Wow, and this is just a training venue?!! Absolutely fantastic. What other sites are being done up around the country? (the obvious one is Athlone, but surely there are more..?)

Wow, and this is just a training venue?!! Absolutely fantastic. What other sites are being done up around the country? (the obvious one is Athlone, but surely there are more..?)

In the stadium and sports arenas section I created a thread a while back of 2010 training venues. Try and search for it. Think it needs an update though.

THANKS!

oncourse to be the 1st completed stadium for 2010, even though its just a training venue.

This stadium is simple. Its a complete football stadium without too many perks. Reminds me a bit of mbombela - lowish budget but a classy football stadium nonetheless.

Update : 19-May-2008

http://i46.photobucket.com/albums/f119/Puleza/Johannesburg/P1090512.jpg

http://i46.photobucket.com/albums/f119/Puleza/Johannesburg/P1090513.jpg

http://i46.photobucket.com/albums/f119/Puleza/Johannesburg/P1090515.jpg

http://i46.photobucket.com/albums/f119/Puleza/Johannesburg/P1090514.jpg

Pretty advanced. Looks great already.

wow. looks nice

Orlando Stadium nearly complete

Written by Ndaba Dlamini
Friday, 01 August 2008

http://www.joburg.org.za/images/stories/2008/jul/orlandostadium000.jpg
Once complete, the new Orlando Stadium will change the skyline of Soweto and "restore the dignity" of residents, says the executive mayor.

http://www.joburg.org.za/images/stories/2008/jul/orlandostadium001.jpg
Soccer legend KK Lentsoane looks at the work going on at the new Orlando Stadium

ORLANDO Stadium is breath-taking, says Alfred "KK" Lentsoane, the legendary mid-fielder who played for Moroka Swallows in the 1970s and early 1980s.

"[The new stadium] is wonderful. It's top-class. I wish I had played in such a stadium during my heyday," Lentsoane says, holding on to the railing of the second tier and sweeping the stadium with nostalgic eyes.

The 56-year-old Lentsoane was among the Soccer Legends invited on a tour of the stadium to check on progress at the landmark venue. Executive Mayor Amos Masondo led the tour, bringing along members of his mayoral council.

Orlando Stadium is one of the training venues for the 2010 FIFA World Cup™. The original stadium was demolished in 2006 to make way for a bigger, more aesthetically appealing facility, with seating for 45 000.

Masondo said the stadium was being rebuilt at a cost of R280-million, of which 25 percent came from the Municipal Infrastructure Grant and 75 percent from the City's budget.

First 2010 project
"On 3 May 2006, a day after Orlando Stadium celebrated its 47th anniversary, we stood at almost this exact spot when we handed her – the ‘old lady' – to the contractors. On that day we marked the City of Johannesburg's ground-breaking movement towards the first 2010 project to be initiated by the City."

http://www.joburg.org.za/images/stories/2008/jul/orlandostadium002.jpg
Orlando Stadium is expected to be complete by October 2008

Exactly 22 months later, the stadium is 94 percent complete; all work is expected to be finished by October.

"When we announced that Orlando Stadium would be demolished and reconstructed, we had a vision of what the new stadium would look like and what it would mean to the community of Greater Orlando," Masondo said.

It would not only host soccer matches but would be turned into a "multi-purpose" facility. It comprises 120 suites that can be turned into hospitality venues, conference facilities, meeting rooms, a gymnasium, a fan shop and offices.

To support the development, the nearby Orlando train station is being upgraded to handle the large number of people expected to use it once the stadium is complete. Well-lit footpaths from Orlando and Mlamlankunzi stations, located about 500 metres away, will be built, while surveillance cameras will improve safety.

"Orlando Stadium will be completed on time, within budget and without compromising quality as per the commitment we made when we handed it over to the developers in May 2006. The stadium will be complete by November 2008," Masondo said.

Its inauguration would take place on 23 November, with several exciting soccer games.

Dignity
With its encircling roof that would cover 70 percent of spectators, it would change the skyline of Soweto and "restore the dignity" of residents, he added.

http://www.joburg.org.za/images/stories/2008/jul/orlandostadium003.jpg
Executive director of 2010 Sibongile Mazibuko, the City's 2010 executive director, discussed the plans with Executive Mayor Amos Masondo and members of the mayoral committee (Photo: Enoch Lehung, City of Johannesburg)

Construction of Orlando Stadium has had a positive effect on the lives of some township residents, especially those living near to it. "The community at large has benefited from this development through the jobs that have been created," said Sid Clark, the City's director of project management. Clark oversees all Joburg's stadiums being built or renovated in the run up to the World Cup.

"To date, 2 205 jobs have been created and training is being provided in the fields of carpentry, bricklaying, plastering and painting."

Training was being provided by certified local Skills Education and Training Authorities, or SETAs, and more than 150 workers had received certificates in various competencies.

Of the 2 205 people working at the stadium, 50 percent hailed from the townships of Orlando, Mzimhlophe, Diepkloof and surrounding areas. Half of this number was women and youth.

Clark said besides the big contractors working on big projects like installing the roof, there were 28 different sub-contracting firms on site; of these, 23 were small, medium and micro enterprises.

"The contractors have done a tremendous job and need to be commended. The whole stadium gobbled up 28 000m? of concrete and 60 000 tonnes of steel."

Parking
Construction was moving into the second stage, with turnstiles and ticket booths being built, according to Sibongile Mazibuko, the City's 2010 executive director. She said 2 500 underground parking bays would be available within the stadium and a parking area for buses would be built to its north.

"The Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) system will run to the east of the stadium and rail transport will complement the BRT on the western side … Public parking facilities will also be constructed around the stadium," she said.

Concerning the role of Soccer Legends, Masondo said they were an important element in the development of football in the city. The Soccer Legends president, Brian "Stopper" Tlhale, said the body was looking into developing a school to teach soccer players life orientation skills. He called on the City for its help on this project.

The Soccer Legends would be the first players to test the new turf at Orlando Stadium, during its inauguration in November.

And Lentsoane hopes to be among the Soccer Legends XI on the day. "I hope to play in the middle of the park like I used to do," he says, with a mischievous twinkle in his eye.

Soccer Legends is a body formed by players of old who use their knowledge and experience to grow a love of football in the city and boost skills in the sport. It is affiliated to Joburg United, set up under the City's One Million Fans campaign to bring residents on board for the World Cup.

http://www.joburg.org.za/images/stories/2008/jul/orlandostadium_front.jpg

All for 280 million

dollars?

is da orlando stadium going to be used as practice ground?

Rand and yes its a practise ground.

$37 million guestimation

man this stadium only cost 38 million dollars ....damnnn how u get it that cheap.

They currently busy with construction of tickets booth and pedestrian walkways.

Any pic updates anyone?

23 September

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3273/2881379781_a56b309c68_o.jpg

To be inaugurated end of November I hear

i love this stadium it looks so modern, and its only a practise ground...GASP!

Is it just me, or is the stadium leaning over?

^^ I think its the ground around is slanted so that the stadium is cut back and that the camera angle is slightly slanted

This one and Soccer city, both in Soweto? Even more reason to have build the main 2010stadium closer to the JHB cbd. Hope both will be viable post WC; else it would be such a big waste.

up da buckz will make that viable - how about some landscappin' u all....

Moroka Swallows will play Platinum Stars in a PSL fixture at the Orlando Stadium.



SUPERSPORT : http://www.supersport.co.za/football/article.aspx?headline=PSL%20games%20return%20to%20Orlando%20Stadium&id=276977

Great story on SABC news yesterday about the first match to be played here.

http://www.sabcnews.com/sport/soccer/0,2172,179703,00.html

sweet. just wish the story included pics.

up da buckz will make that viable - how about some landscappin' u all....

Pirates own a percentage of ellis park and jhb stadium why would they play a large number of games here? unless they sell their share in Ellis park. It would be far more likely to see one of the other clubs use this as their home ground. Possibly chiefs as their own stadium project seems to be dying a wimper.

Chiefs' stadium began construction some time ago didn't it?

Chiefs' stadium began construction some time ago didn't it?

As far as i can tell (but someone can correct me if Im wrong) the new stadium has not been begun since all the hype was made.

Mail and Guardian article, March 2008

Chiefs' R1-billion stadium crisis
LUCKY SINDANE - Mar 07 2008 08:31

Five years after its developers announced that the construction of the Kaizer Chiefs Stadium would be complete by this year, not a brick has been laid.

Construction work on the Bob van Reenen stadium precinct in Krugersdorp, earmarked by Chiefs as their home venue, was expected to begin in July 2006 and it was to be ready to use in 2008.

But no work has started since Mogale City, Chiefs, Lefika and the Gauteng provincial government entered into an agreement in 2003.

The blame for the delay has been laid at the door of property development company Lefika Emerging Equity, the executive director of which is Bobby Motaung, Chiefs' general manager and the club chairperson's son.

The company apparently failed to raise the R1,2-billion needed for the construction of the stadium. It also allegedly failed to adhere to environmental assessment and heritage preservation regulations.

In January, Lefika was castigated in a Nelspruit municipality audit report in relation to a R1-billion tender irregularity for the Mbombela Stadium in Mpumalanga.

The Krugersdorp Stadium has been under lock and key since 2006 ahead of the intended construction work. Grass growing on its outskirts looms and the venue looks like a cattle pasture rather than a sports ground. The closure has robbed Krugersdorp's school and amateur sports clubs of a recreational venue.

Chiefs, which at the time of the announcement said the venture would make the club the first to "own a stake in their own stadium", has been strangely reticent, choosing to refer all enquiries to Lefika rather than to comment, casting doubt on whether the club is sticking to the plan or whether the stadium is solely a Lefika project.

Though the stadium's sponsors, Lefika and Mogale City, announced in 2006 that the stadium would be ready by 2008, the club's website appears to have extended the deadline by a year.

The Gauteng Economic Development Agency (Geda), which facilitated discussions between Lefika and Mogale City, conceded that the delay was worrying because it would lead to cost escalations.

Geda spokesperson Barba Gao-ganediwe said Geda's involvement was "non-financial", but confirmed that Lefika had approached the provincial government with a view to getting it to invest in the project.

Gaoganediwe said that as non-financial partner, Geda was not privy to the timeline for restarting the project but was concerned that the delay would affect expectations created by the announcement of the project, particularly because the Mogale City area had been hard hit by the closure of gold mines in recent years.

Sipho Solfafa, the 2010 World Cup project manager on the West Rand, said construction had been delayed because Lefika was experiencing financial problems.

"Even though Mogale City was not appointed a 2010 host, after the bid announcement the layout anddesign of the Amakhosi Stadium was changed to meet Fifa standards. The quotation then amounted to R1,2-billion and Lefika said it had secured R500-million from Nedbank for the initial design, which was expected to cost R700-million. But that was just talk, they showed nothing to prove that they had secured funds from Nedbank."

He added: "Lefika then had a shortfall of about R700-million and it had to secure additional funding. We suspected that it was having financial problems when they [Lefika officials] came back to us and started talking about selling their shares for R1,2-billion -- the value of the construction of the stadium. They had problems but they didn't say anything. They are good at talking about the money they [say they] have but they can't show it to us. What we want to see is what they have."

Mogale City municipal officials were hoping the stadium would be completed in time to host some of the 31 sides taking part in the 2010 World Cup. "We still have hopes and think that it will be completed by December 2009," said Solfafa.

Geda was also confident the deal would be rescued but officials were loath to propose a time frame. "Perhaps the timelines [set earlier] did not accommodate possible mishaps in a multimillion-rand project of this nature," said Gaoganediwe.Geda would make its project management capacity available should this be required because "we believe in this project. It is much-needed and viable".

Solfafa said government was seriously concerned. "Since government has pumped out money the land will no longer be leased only to Chiefs but to other teams as well if there is a need. Government has total control of the venue. We are putting Lefika to the test and if they don't come to the party we will look for other potential investors and put the stadium construction on tender again."

Chris Gribb, CEO of Lefika, denied that the delays were caused by finances. "I don't know where you get that from. The delays were caused by the environmental impact assessment (EIA) and the heritage impact assessment (HIA), but things are coming right and construction should start very soon," he said.

"I just don't understand why it took so long for our application to be approved but everything is under control and we are meeting with our funding partners, whom I cannot mention."

But Solfafa dismissed Gribb's comments. "There is no way government can delay a process to approve an application for someone to build a shop if they have followed the right procedures, done the EIA and the HIA. Those are just minor issues which you need to comply with. These guys [Lefika] don't have money."

sweet. just wish the story included pics.

http://i129.photobucket.com/albums/p210/rfataar/untitled-1.jpg

nice stadium....for a very cheap price

I will be attending the Pirates 1st game and I will bring pics. They will only play most of their games there during Ellis Park's construction only.

Pirates own a percentage of ellis park and jhb stadium why would they play a large number of games here? unless they sell their share in Ellis park. It would be far more likely to see one of the other clubs use this as their home ground. Possibly chiefs as their own stadium project seems to be dying a wimper.

man, i did not know that. thanks.

thanks mo. very cool. i see that they're still working on the presinct, parking lots etc. sad story about the chiefs stadium. very very poor.

sweet. just wish the story included pics.

The story was on the news so it should include a video. When I checked there was no video though...

i hope pirates make it there permit base for home games ,ellis park is kak for soccer as its so far away from there fans ,it also sounds as if the only thing holding pirates back from moving to orlando is that they own park of ellis park well according to mr Khoza

It's official - Pirates are going home

It's official - Orlando Pirates are coming home. Pirates chairman Irvin Khoza confirmed on Monday the Buccaneers would be making an "emotional" return to Orlando Stadium when they play Thanda Royal Zulu in the Absa Premiership on November 22.

The Thanda game will commemorate the re-opening of the stadium, now a R284-million, 40 000 seat state-of-the-art facility that will be used as a training venue for World Cup 2010.

Originally, Moroka Swallows were supposed to open the stadium against Platinum Stars on November 23, but with the Coca-Cola Park pitch now out of action, Bucs have decided to use Orlando as their home venue for the immediate future.




Khoza, however, refused to be drawn on whether Pirates would ultimately make Orlando their permanent home. A move back to Ellis Park is reportedly scheduled for mid-March.

Orlando Stadium has always been a heartland of SA football. Built at the end of the 1950s, the old stadium was used as a home by the likes of Pirates, Swallows and Pimville United Brothers throughout the 1960s, '70s and '80s.

But with the deterioration of the stadium over the next two decades, clubs were forced to move away to venues like FNB Stadium, Rand Stadium and Ellis Park.

The stadium got a bit of a facelift in the new millennium, and Pirates did play the occasional game in Orlando again, their last being against Moroka Swallows in October 2005. "It invokes a lot of emotions," admitted Khoza on Pirates' November 22 return.

"This was a centre that was in a state of hopelessness and I think this can give a sense of meaning to people.

"Taking in account that this stadium also has a legacy project, not just for World Cup 2010, this can transform the economy for the people of Orlando. It is big business for people in and around Orlando, in terms of garages, taverns and taxis."

Pirates are contracted to play games at Coca-Cola Park, but with the pitch currently undergoing some work, they made the decision to move.

"Ellis Park (Coca-Cola Park) understands that our history, our roots, lie at Orlando Stadium," says Khoza. "We are thinking what to do (on a permanent basis) together with the city.

"Right now, Ellis Park are addressing the grass there, so it looks like most of our home games will be at Orlando. It depends on how soon they are finished at Ellis Park. Right now, I cannot say anything (about a permanent move). We do have a stake in Ellis Park."

Khoza added that Pirates were also talking about building a museum and a Hall of Fame in Orlando. "It would be appropriate to have it there."

The Pirates chairman does not feel that a move to Orlando will necessarily bring larger crowds to Pirates' games. "There are not many games you can now find 30 000 or 40 000 supporters at," he said. "It is difficult these days for fans to come to games, and expensive. But you can still see the power of Pirates. All our games are televised and it is our games that have the largest viewership."

One Pirates game certain to pack a stadium is the Soweto derby against Kaizer Chiefs in Mafikeng on Saturday. Khoza rejects suggestions that the derby has lost its allure, with Chiefs and Pirates no longer such dominant forces in the local game.

"The derby remains the derby," he says. "It raises discussions across the whole country. Our players must understand the significance of playing in this game. You need to be selfless and professional. The whole country expects you to be at your best."

if they dont make this their home stadium, what is the point of it being 40,000???

i think thats a problem with sa soccer they are no real homegrounds hope this is a start

True. Will slowly happen as the money increases in the sport locally. What happened to Kaizer Chiefs new one? Haven't heard about it for ages!

apparently this is what happened.

Mail and Guardian article, March 2008

Chiefs' R1-billion stadium crisis
LUCKY SINDANE - Mar 07 2008 08:31

Five years after its developers announced that the construction of the Kaizer Chiefs Stadium would be complete by this year, not a brick has been laid.

Construction work on the Bob van Reenen stadium precinct in Krugersdorp, earmarked by Chiefs as their home venue, was expected to begin in July 2006 and it was to be ready to use in 2008.

But no work has started since Mogale City, Chiefs, Lefika and the Gauteng provincial government entered into an agreement in 2003.

The blame for the delay has been laid at the door of property development company Lefika Emerging Equity, the executive director of which is Bobby Motaung, Chiefs' general manager and the club chairperson's son.

The company apparently failed to raise the R1,2-billion needed for the construction of the stadium. It also allegedly failed to adhere to environmental assessment and heritage preservation regulations.

In January, Lefika was castigated in a Nelspruit municipality audit report in relation to a R1-billion tender irregularity for the Mbombela Stadium in Mpumalanga.

The Krugersdorp Stadium has been under lock and key since 2006 ahead of the intended construction work. Grass growing on its outskirts looms and the venue looks like a cattle pasture rather than a sports ground. The closure has robbed Krugersdorp's school and amateur sports clubs of a recreational venue.

Chiefs, which at the time of the announcement said the venture would make the club the first to "own a stake in their own stadium", has been strangely reticent, choosing to refer all enquiries to Lefika rather than to comment, casting doubt on whether the club is sticking to the plan or whether the stadium is solely a Lefika project.

Though the stadium's sponsors, Lefika and Mogale City, announced in 2006 that the stadium would be ready by 2008, the club's website appears to have extended the deadline by a year.

The Gauteng Economic Development Agency (Geda), which facilitated discussions between Lefika and Mogale City, conceded that the delay was worrying because it would lead to cost escalations.

Geda spokesperson Barba Gao-ganediwe said Geda's involvement was "non-financial", but confirmed that Lefika had approached the provincial government with a view to getting it to invest in the project.

Gaoganediwe said that as non-financial partner, Geda was not privy to the timeline for restarting the project but was concerned that the delay would affect expectations created by the announcement of the project, particularly because the Mogale City area had been hard hit by the closure of gold mines in recent years.

Sipho Solfafa, the 2010 World Cup project manager on the West Rand, said construction had been delayed because Lefika was experiencing financial problems.

"Even though Mogale City was not appointed a 2010 host, after the bid announcement the layout anddesign of the Amakhosi Stadium was changed to meet Fifa standards. The quotation then amounted to R1,2-billion and Lefika said it had secured R500-million from Nedbank for the initial design, which was expected to cost R700-million. But that was just talk, they showed nothing to prove that they had secured funds from Nedbank."

He added: "Lefika then had a shortfall of about R700-million and it had to secure additional funding. We suspected that it was having financial problems when they [Lefika officials] came back to us and started talking about selling their shares for R1,2-billion -- the value of the construction of the stadium. They had problems but they didn't say anything. They are good at talking about the money they [say they] have but they can't show it to us. What we want to see is what they have."

Mogale City municipal officials were hoping the stadium would be completed in time to host some of the 31 sides taking part in the 2010 World Cup. "We still have hopes and think that it will be completed by December 2009," said Solfafa.

Geda was also confident the deal would be rescued but officials were loath to propose a time frame. "Perhaps the timelines [set earlier] did not accommodate possible mishaps in a multimillion-rand project of this nature," said Gaoganediwe.Geda would make its project management capacity available should this be required because "we believe in this project. It is much-needed and viable".

Solfafa said government was seriously concerned. "Since government has pumped out money the land will no longer be leased only to Chiefs but to other teams as well if there is a need. Government has total control of the venue. We are putting Lefika to the test and if they don't come to the party we will look for other potential investors and put the stadium construction on tender again."

Chris Gribb, CEO of Lefika, denied that the delays were caused by finances. "I don't know where you get that from. The delays were caused by the environmental impact assessment (EIA) and the heritage impact assessment (HIA), but things are coming right and construction should start very soon," he said.

"I just don't understand why it took so long for our application to be approved but everything is under control and we are meeting with our funding partners, whom I cannot mention."

But Solfafa dismissed Gribb's comments. "There is no way government can delay a process to approve an application for someone to build a shop if they have followed the right procedures, done the EIA and the HIA. Those are just minor issues which you need to comply with. These guys [Lefika] don't have money."

just saw the highlights from the first game at the new stadium yesterday. looks amazing.

any pic's? I didnt have power the WHOLE DAY! so didnt catch the game

pule said he'd attend the game and get some pics.

cool, so I'll be expecting some pic's in the mail soon then

Eish gents, I couldn't attend the game on saturday as they moved it to 20:00 but I will definately make plans in the near future.

Eish gents, I couldn't attend the game on saturday as they moved it to 20:00 but I will definately make plans in the near future.

must i do everything around here. :)

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3037/3058045749_ea38ebb37f_o.jpg
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3180/3058045743_bf56dc04a7_b.jpg
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3071/3058045739_758473828e_b.jpg
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3035/3058045737_fbfc373d2b_b.jpg

Very slick inside, I likes!

OMG, that interior shots make it look like you in a European ground!

Not too shabby, nige. Would love to see what it looks like with branding. Let's hope it's not the free for all that is Absa Stadium Durban. Bet they could sell the naming rights to this one quite easily though. If they were clever about it they might easily get 10% of what it cost to build the stadium

awesome improvement i love it, here's the old orlando
http://farm1.static.flickr.com/34/106360155_fe45e10679_o.jpg

Ah there's no comparison between the old and the new. That pitch is amazing btw

very cool. and the perfect size too.

The old Orlando Stadium had some very low-budget seating areas. The old stadium held 24,000 people and was constructed in 1959.

i think the old version is what many europian football fans were expecting come 2010. hahaaaaaa!!!!:bash:

i think the old version is what many europian football fans ARE expecting come 2010. hahaaaaaa!!!!:bash:

There you go, fixed it :) lol

way to go Big Mo.....nice stadia....

There you go, fixed it :) lol

:lol:

Looking great. :D

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3226/3076161215_938178eb91_b.jpg

is it just me or will this stadium never host a night match? ala no lighting

no wonder then why it doesn't meet fifa requirements

I think I see lights right above the roof itself...I may be wrong though.

^^Dames. Same here... Those tiny specks dotting the roof-line may be them. Does Mo Rush have any facts? Not speculating like Juanl:2cents:

Nice interior....man for a cheap price its a bargain.

Flood's will never be those small, unless we've invented some new type of LED lighting that can light up the place, which I doubt. BUT this place does have lights & can host night matches, I watched the Pirates game on TV.

the Kaizer Chiefs :nocrook: night game was awesome at the new stadium, lighting was good

^^my bad it was the Chiefs game, not pirates

sorry my bad folks. in london so couldn't catch the game. youtube'd it. dames, the lights are just above the roof. thanks...

http://www.fifa.com/confederationscup/news/newsid=966790.html

Orlando Stadium re-opens its doors

http://i443.photobucket.com/albums/qq159/tadpolefarm/Orlando%20Stadium/2008-11-18074.jpg

http://i443.photobucket.com/albums/qq159/tadpolefarm/Orlando%20Stadium/2008-11-18080.jpg

http://i443.photobucket.com/albums/qq159/tadpolefarm/Orlando%20Stadium/2008-11-18083.jpg

http://i443.photobucket.com/albums/qq159/tadpolefarm/Orlando%20Stadium/2008-11-18092.jpg

http://i443.photobucket.com/albums/qq159/tadpolefarm/Orlando%20Stadium/2008-11-18120.jpg

http://i443.photobucket.com/albums/qq159/tadpolefarm/Orlando%20Stadium/2008-11-18131.jpg

http://i443.photobucket.com/albums/qq159/tadpolefarm/Orlando%20Stadium/2008-11-18153.jpg

http://i443.photobucket.com/albums/qq159/tadpolefarm/Orlando%20Stadium/2008-11-18176.jpg

wow Tad you always seem to come up with great pics. :applause:Whats yo secret?

http://i443.photobucket.com/albums/qq159/tadpolefarm/Orlando%20Stadium/2008-11-18155.jpg

http://i443.photobucket.com/albums/qq159/tadpolefarm/Orlando%20Stadium/2008-11-18160.jpg

http://i443.photobucket.com/albums/qq159/tadpolefarm/Orlando%20Stadium/2008-11-18178.jpg

http://i443.photobucket.com/albums/qq159/tadpolefarm/Orlando%20Stadium/2008-11-18197.jpg

http://i443.photobucket.com/albums/qq159/tadpolefarm/Orlando%20Stadium/2008-11-18199.jpg

http://i443.photobucket.com/albums/qq159/tadpolefarm/Orlando%20Stadium/2008-11-18215.jpg

http://i443.photobucket.com/albums/qq159/tadpolefarm/Orlando%20Stadium/2008-11-18220.jpg

http://i443.photobucket.com/albums/qq159/tadpolefarm/Orlando%20Stadium/2008-11-18224.jpg

http://i443.photobucket.com/albums/qq159/tadpolefarm/Orlando%20Stadium/2008-11-18233.jpg

http://i443.photobucket.com/albums/qq159/tadpolefarm/Orlando%20Stadium/2008-11-18244.jpg

Players lockers
http://i443.photobucket.com/albums/qq159/tadpolefarm/Orlando%20Stadium/2008-11-18246.jpg

Players change rooms
http://i443.photobucket.com/albums/qq159/tadpolefarm/Orlando%20Stadium/2008-11-18249.jpg

http://i443.photobucket.com/albums/qq159/tadpolefarm/Orlando%20Stadium/2008-11-18259.jpg

http://i443.photobucket.com/albums/qq159/tadpolefarm/Orlando%20Stadium/2008-11-18264.jpg

WOW!!!

yea WOW!

now thats some impressive pic's, nice to see this venue has all the bells and whistles

Really like this venue. It's impressive. Pity we can't use it in 2010, especially in place of Rustenburg's stadium.

I can't understand why Orlando Pirates don't want this stadium...Everything seems to be made to suit the team...

^^ they own a portion of Ellis Park precinct. I'm sure if they didn't they could have been using this stadium.

beauty stadium!!

How much did this stadium cost?

It cost R330mill

so that equal approx 24 million dollars....thats really cheap for that quality stadium~!

The next Bafana Bafana game in January against Zambia might be played here.

That would be excellent.

A dream day where Bafana will touch the pitch of the home of SA soccer for the first time will have to waight a bit. The game between Bafana and Zambia originaly proposed for this venue has been switched to once again Super stadium.

This is because of the completion of packing facilities at the stadium. One wonders when Bafana will play in this new stadium for the first time as Soweto and the rest of SA were counting down to this game. Will it happen before the confederations cup?

The match after Zambia will be against Chile in Pieter Mokaba stadium on the 11th of this month. There after agaist Norway on the 28th of March. The game against Norway might be the only chance to play there (if SAFA have not already scheduled this game else where). Unless if another game is organised out of FIFA international date before the conf cup (more likely to happen).

Orlando stadium on the mach day



http://img202.imagevenue.com/loc136/th_73232_DSC00014_122_136lo.JPG (http://img202.imagevenue.com/img.php?image=73232_DSC00014_122_136lo.JPG)http://img109.imagevenue.com/loc1170/th_73233_DSC00011_122_1170lo.JPG (http://img109.imagevenue.com/img.php?image=73233_DSC00011_122_1170lo.JPG)http://img156.imagevenue.com/loc1043/th_73238_DSC00012_122_1043lo.JPG (http://img156.imagevenue.com/img.php?image=73238_DSC00012_122_1043lo.JPG)

The match after Zambia will be against Chile in Pieter Mokaba stadium on the 11th of this month.

This is not possible Rulani.

this is so weird, i had a dream i was at the SA v Zambia game, it was at super stadium. i live in Cape Town!

im zambian and i say its zambia vs sa at the super staduim thou i dont understand why the cant use the orlando stadium

This is not possible Rulani.

Its the old Pieter Mokaba stadium with athletic tracks. Do you remember it?
The new one is built a stone throw away from it.

There are so many stadium they could use, why do they choose PM?

You know SAFA Baba!:ohno:

I still think it would have been great to play in Orlando. The flash memories of pieter Mokaba as far as Bafana is conserned is when we beat IvoryCoast and i think Drogba was playing as well. I might swallow my words

Why would they use 2 stadia in Soweto?
The cost of Orlando would rise quite a bit if it was going to meet FIFA requirements for a match venue.

http://www.prosound.co.za/uploadimages/Orlando_new_2_large_1227776440_1228134112.JPG

if they were to us orlando they have to use athlon stadium plus soccer city is just on the outskirts of soweto so transport ain't bad for the locals

You know SAFA Baba!:ohno:

I still think it would have been great to play in Orlando. The flash memories of pieter Mokaba as far as Bafana is conserned is when we beat IvoryCoast and i think Drogba was playing as well. I might swallow my words

for Bafana & Zambia game

Nice pic Mo! Thanks

By the way, any news from Rand Stadium (was supposed to be rebuilt at the same time as Orlando Stadium)? Any pictures?

By the way, any news from Rand Stadium (was supposed to be rebuilt at the same time as Orlando Stadium)? Any pictures?

Must be on the touch up phase as the local club Chiefs were proposing to play thier PSL game there. unfortunately it was said not to be ready for a game yet. this gives one a pic that its almost done. Infortunately i dont have pics available.:ohno: As its the case with Soccercity.

http://www.prosound.co.za/uploadimages/Orlando_new_2_large_1227776440_1228134112.JPG

Orlando stadium really is world class, and at such a bargain. It's amazing, compared to new stadia overseas our new stadia are right up there in terms of quality and at a fraction of the price.

By the way, any news from Rand Stadium (was supposed to be rebuilt at the same time as Orlando Stadium)? Any pictures?

http://www.joburg.org.za/fifaworldcup/images/stories/nov2008/rand-stadium-021.jpg

http://www.joburg.org.za/fifaworldcup/images/stories/nov2008/rand-stadium-023.jpg

http://www.joburg.org.za/fifaworldcup/images/stories/nov2008/rand-stadium-041.jpg

Looking much better than it was. I hope we see it in action soon

Why would they use 2 stadia in Soweto?
The cost of Orlando would rise quite a bit if it was going to meet FIFA requirements for a match venue.

Actually to bring Orlando up to FIFA specs would not be very difficult. The level of floodlighting would need to be upped and generators installed and not too much else that I am aware of. Its seating capacity is below that required for world cup but it could easily have been a confed cup venue. Orlando's does underline the over the top costs on the other stadiums but SA is aiming to put on a superb show for the world and this we shall.

Actually to bring Orlando up to FIFA specs would not be very difficult. The level of floodlighting would need to be upped and generators installed and not too much else that I am aware of. Its seating capacity is below that required for world cup but it could easily have been a confed cup venue. Orlando's does underline the over the top costs on the other stadiums but SA is aiming to put on a superb show for the world and this we shall.

I was told about R550 million extra to bring it closer to FIFA requirements in terms of lighting, space, access, media, VIP areas etc. One of the guys on the team said they got away with a lot of the extra cost mainly due to early procurement and good negotiations but it would still need a chunk of money.
I'd say about R750 million as a FIFA World Cup stadia.

Would like to see the whole stadium layout. Anyone with the pic?

Landscaping a bonus in RSA

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3395/3230675621_565b11a02d_b.jpg

Been to the stadium, a really nice addition to the Soweto and they will be very proud of this stadium. However, the landscaping around the stadium leaves a lot to be desired. Also, I have no idea where people will park!

Landscaping a bonus in RSA

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3395/3230675621_565b11a02d_b.jpg

no way i refuse to believe its gonna stay like that.
The Project manager said on countdown 2010 that alot of work would go into landscaping, surely this isnt what she was talking about.

i thought they are busy with that? one of the reasons Bafana's game was moved from there.

http://www.joburg.org.za/fifaworldcup/images/stories/nov2008/rand-stadium-021.jpg

http://www.joburg.org.za/fifaworldcup/images/stories/nov2008/rand-stadium-023.jpg

http://www.joburg.org.za/fifaworldcup/images/stories/nov2008/rand-stadium-041.jpg

I don't know much about the Rand Stadium project. i know its capacity is about 30,000 and that extensive renovation of the stadium were carried out in the mid 60s.

no way i refuse to believe its gonna stay like that.
The Project manager said on countdown 2010 that alot of work would go into landscaping, surely this isnt what she was talking about.

What> You think its easy arranging all that sand and gravel like that?

^^ Lol

http://lh3.ggpht.com/_Lcw1WXMLc9o/Sac9u0AMCQI/AAAAAAAABfY/E2VocjxWAqk/IMG_0325.JPG

Nice pictures! Ive never actually seen this stadium.
SA really has some nice stadiums, and we have quite a few for such a small country
Thanks

Glad to see some paving going around the stadium, and road construction is always fun to see

aaaaaah, much much better.

Orlando Stadium to reopen with the Nedbank cup final.

Bafana to play at Orlando Stadium
Posted: 2009-03-19 13:10

Bafana Bafana will make a historic debut appearance at the new revamped Orlando Stadium in Soweto when they host Poland in their last international friendly match.

The match is set to take place a week before the kick off of the Fifa Confederations Cup.

The Joel Santana-coached team will battle it out with Poland on June 6 at the traditional home of South African football that has been re-built and is nearing completion, although three PSL games have already been played there.

Revealing details of this historic occasion, Safa CEO Raymond Hack, said: “We have made special requisition from FIFA because Orlando is a World Cup stadium. The friendly match against Poland is being held at Orlando Stadium as we have done all the required processes in consultation with Fifa.”

Bafana have never played an official match at Orlando Stadium. The last time the national team went onto the pitch there was for practice match against a Select XI during the NSL era when Clive Barker was still in charge of the national team.

The Fifa Confederations Cup will run from June 14-28 as a prelude to the World Cup with the opening match to be played at Coca-Cola Park.

Meanwhile, Bafana Bafana will play another four international friendly games after the Confederations Cup in the months of September and October.

On September 5 Bafana will be up against Germany before squaring up with Ireland three days later in Dublin.

The national team will again come up against their Scandinavian opponents Norway again on October 10 and then do battle with Iceland later the same month.

Hack says the fixture dates and venues for matches to be further matches to be played in November will be announced at a later date.

Any latest pics?pls!

Nothing from me

I dont know howmuch one can trust in this. The following is the quote of 1 guy in the comment blog on the Chefs website talking about the Amakhosi Stadium.

Topic: Chieffs Stadium update
Posted: 13 Jan 2009 at 9:01am
Compliments of the new season Makhosi. I would like to give you an update on the Makhosi Stadium since we do not get it from our trusted website. Firstly let me point out that I used to work for Mogale Cit Local Municipality an I was there when the whole thing started though I was not directly involved. I still have contacts there. Last week I met with one of the guys who are directly involved with the project and I asked him ukuthi kanti zikhiphani. He said all the necessary documentation has been done, the funds have been secured and the work is starting around March 2009. Remember that the initial cost for the stadium was R600m and then it shot up to R1.6Billion. It has since come down to R1,2 Billion as a result of lowering costs which led to lower demand of stadium material as most of our World Cup stadiums are nearing completion.

I will come back with another update in February.

Dankie Khosi





The link:http://www.kaizerchiefs.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=10912&PN=1&SID=616c3669azf98d3e3e2a2f39e3ff4e9b

Kaizer trusted Bobby to run with the project even thought he knew that his son is a failure. I still can't understand as to why they have to building a new stadium while they can one of the 3 main stadiums in Joburg.

So now who's going to use the Orlando stadium... all of this doesn't make sense

Moroka Swallows is destined for Orlando and Apparantly there is an agreement already in place. Rand stadium goes for Cosmos.It Would be great for chiefs to use Soccercity, but i think pride has something to do with all this(we have to own the stad).

And there's still Johannesburg stadium. I know it has an athletics track but i've seen a game there and it's a great venue.

Moroka Swallows is destined for Orlando and Apparantly there is an agreement already in place. Rand stadium goes for Cosmos.It Would be great for chiefs to use Soccercity, but i think pride has something to do with all this(we have to own the stad).

Handing that stadium to Swallows would be stupid move, i mean the stadium wasn't even half full when they played there.

IMO an agreement should be made for Pirates to sell their shares in Ellis park and move to Orlando, cuz that would almost garantee weekly full houses in Orlando stadium.

Handing that stadium to Swallows would be stupid move, i mean the stadium wasn't even half full when they played there.

IMO an agreement should be made for Pirates to sell their shares in Ellis park and move to Orlando, cuz that would almost garantee weekly full houses in Orlando stadium.

Correct. Even though permanent move will not happen, Pirates should still play some games there as they have a special bond stad.

And there's still Johannesburg stadium. I know it has an athletics track but i've seen a game there and it's a great venue.

Joburg stadium is great and i love it. Im as worried about it feture

Joburg stadium is great and i love it. Im as worried about it feture

Any large athletics stadium has issues with sustainability

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3463/3256125871_b099df12b5_b.jpg
^^ Stole this pic from some clown on flickr..

Cool Dennis

^^ Stole this pic from some clown on flickr..

lol

Moroka Swallows is destined for Orlando and Apparantly there is an agreement already in place. Rand stadium goes for Cosmos.It Would be great for chiefs to use Soccercity, but i think pride has something to do with all this(we have to own the stad).

Soccer city national stadium? or will a club also use it?

Soccer city national stadium? or will a club also use it?

If Chiefs dont suceed in building their own stad(which i wish they dont), then they will get stuck in there(that would be cool). But if they do suceed, then SC will be used for the crowd puller games Chiefs vs Pirates or the yearly charity tourny . Any chances of the Lions moving in there? i dont think so.

Extreme makeover for Orlando

Written by Lesego Madumo
Thursday, 04 June 2009

City Parks' extreme park mission rolls on, this time with the area around Orlando Stadium on its list. In a few hours, the bare area will be a green lung.

The area around Orlando Stadium in Orlando East, Soweto will be spruced up and turned into a green oasis in just under 12 hours, as part of City Parks' extensive drive to turn Soweto into a verdant township - on par with its northern counterparts as a legacy of the 2010 World Cup.

The Greening Orlando Stadium Challenge is another of City Parks' extreme park makeover schemes, during which its workers and volunteers labour around the clock to deliver a fully fledged green lung in record time.

Jenny Moodley, City Parks' marketing manager, says this project, scheduled for Tuesday, 9 June has been commissioned by the City's department of community development in its role as custodian of sporting facilities.

Work will start at 9am and will take eight to 10 hours to complete, Moodley notes. "We anticipate finishing much earlier, but the official unveiling time has been set up for 2.30pm."

Plenty of indigenous trees will be planted on the day - 165 Rhus-lancea, which are deciduous and evergreen; 61 combretum erythrophyllum; 38 Rhus leptodictya and 127 olea Europeae sub species Africana.

Paving
The Orlando stadium precinct will be greened through planting trees and lawn, laying paving that allows for grass space and installing an irrigation system. A water and garden feature will also be erected on the day.

"Because parking space is a challenge around the stadium, we have been asked to use paving that allows space for lawn, so that we can continue to execute our mandate of greening the entire precinct," Moodley explains.

City Parks wants the project to act as a pioneer for other greening initiatives around Joburg, "to rigorously escalate the importance of greening, as Joburg builds towards the World Cup in June next year", explains Noeleen Mattera, from City Park's marketing and media department.

City Parks is the municipal-owned entity charged with greening and maintaining Joburg's parks and open spaces.

In a media statement, Mattera notes that the project will be a greening marathon; greening the surroundings of the imposing 45 000-seat Orlando stadium will be a "huge milestone".

Volunteers
Community members, soccer legends, representatives from the 2010 FIFA World Cup Local Organising Committee and celebrities have been invited to lend a hand in the initiative. So far, over 300 people from the community, 200 City Parks employees and about a 100 employees from the department of community development have signed up to take part.

Orlando Stadium has been earmarked as a training venue for the Confederations Cup, which kicks off on 14 June, and the World Cup.

Mattera says it will be the first football venue to be greened as part of a citywide initiative to "project a city that is green and aesthetically pleasing". City Parks is tasked with accelerating the beautification of soccer venues and levelling greening imbalances in southern parts of the metro, particularly Soweto.

At present, construction work stretches across the area around the stadium. A brawl of construction vehicles is hard at work at its entrance, where a Bus Rapid Transit station and route is being constructed. Work has also been ongoing to upgrade the stadium itself.

The stadium
Based in the heart of Soweto, on Mooki Street on the eastern edge of Orlando, the stadium is a stone's throw from where the anti-apartheid uprising erupted in 1976. Today the spot is now marked by the Hector Pieterson Memorial and Museum.

The neglected, bare piece of land around its parameters is heaped with miniature piles of waste and the overgrown grass has turned into a pastureland for cattle, sheep and goats.

In contrast, the stadium sets the shape of the skyline of Soweto. It was built in 1959 with a seating capacity for 24 000 people. The original stadium was demolished in 2006 to make way for the current imposing facility, at a cost to the City of R280-million. It now boats 2 500 underground parking bays and a parking area for buses.

Other amenities include about 120 hospitality suites, conference facilities, meeting rooms, a gymnasium, a fan shop, office space, video screens and security facilities, including CCTV cameras that extend into the precinct.

The City has ambitious plans for the facility, some of which include turning it into a multipurpose hub for soccer, rugby, social gatherings, music and other concerts.

Urban forest
Johannesburg is recognised internationally as an urban forest; however the description only fits its lush northern suburbs because of apartheid planning. The Greening Challenge forms part of City Parks' broader plan to balance the disparity and plant as many as 200 000 trees in Soweto as a 2010 legacy.

According to the City Parks website, greening initiatives undertaken in Soweto serve as catalysts to counterbalance air pollution and improve the state of the environment for the benefit and enhancement of the township, its citizenry and visitors alike, "creating a sustainable environmental legacy for future generations".

The long-term goal is to pay homage to Soweto's historical and cultural significance and backdrop, commit to bettering the lives of its people, increase its aesthetics and boost civic pride.

To help change the face of Soweto and turn the township into a green oasis, City Parks has roped in the help of various international and private partners, including the Airports Company of South Africa, Talk Radio 702, Rand Water and the governments of Norway and Denmark.

Johannesburg Water, City Power and Johannesburg Roads Agency are also on board as partners to ensure that the greening programme is co-ordinated to ensure sufficient water, power and road concerns, Mattera notes.

http://www.joburg.org.za/content/view/3922/266/

In 12 hours?

Im gonna see how it all looks on Saturday when Bafana play there. Will try to get some pics.

Who are they playing

google?

hey mo if you know the answer just tell me. I found out it was Poland but a little compassion or people skills would never be a bad idea.

typical arrogant attitude from Mo as usual...if you dont wanna ans dont ans dont have to be rude

Don't take it seriously. Your questions lately have just seemed a bit Dennis-like.

because i wanna know who south africa is playing?

Don't take it seriously. Your questions lately have just seemed a bit Dennis-like.

he was just curious...you dont have to be rude...plus he wasnt asking you....so just ignore it.

chileno just ignore that clown

ok. sort of learned that a while ago.

chileno, youre a nice guy im sure, and i am 100% you only mean well. but when i come on to the projects page and see one of my favourite threads in bold, as is my obsession, i get a small amount of excitement...only to check that it was you saying like, ok or yes, or nice pic, etc. if everyone spoke every word of their mind on this forum, each thread would have 1000's of pages, and as nice as that sounds, irrelevant posts become a waste of time. not to say that all your posts are irrelevant, but they are often unnecessary.

i still love you chilleno. :)

Yet you could have consolidated that last post of yours into your first instead of one more irrelevant post. :banana:

my bad

when did "i love you" become irrelevant. what has this word become...*solilequey*... :P

People can ask whatever they want whenever they want.
Non of us own SSC.

i didnt say they cant.

Okay, back on topic, guys.

http://www.backpagepix.co.za/live/imgadmin/getimage.php?id=99749&type=chttp://www.backpagepix.co.za/live/imgadmin/getimage.php?id=99750&type=chttp://www.backpagepix.co.za/live/imgadmin/getimage.php?id=99751&type=c

booth is terrible.

This stadium will only be used for training? It could have been on of the list of venues for the confed cup IMO.

Orlando Stadium looks great

This stadium will only be used for training? It could have been on of the list of venues for the confed cup IMO.

It can't if it's not a World Cup venue. have to say, watching the game to day, the pitch looked a little bit bumpy.

It's a nice stadium.

This babe is a beauty, I was there with Rulani yesterday.

post some pics pule

Im stoked the soccer clubs are staring to get more buisness like and develop their own stadiums rather than share with rugby.
What about Kaiser Chiefs? will they develop their own stadium?

http://www.galloimages.co.za/FotoWeb/FWbin/preview.dll/TL_733099.jpg?D=194D34A32530E41D50FA044CB2274152E9CA4DE8FB1B880F2D5CC6609181FA4121495AC61F405C618F8E33E5CF137C6B8066D47E9924222557871FF217A849DB0934D5C3F30383182C09721EFA65FEC56089789E710009862614E146F2A7254303BE237E9B5B1149A0F52909421DF0CB016C00DFD3B62EE7B733F7A7D45493B73C2871B47A74CA436669A0DF5F045F05DEAF58958451ED6C254257ADD2033DCC91495438B860288A27273A3C6B2FA518
http://www.galloimages.co.za/FotoWeb/FWbin/preview.dll/TL_733100.jpg?D=194D34A32530E41D50FA044CB2274152E9CA4DE8FB1B880F2D5CC6609181FA4121495AC61F405C618F8E33E5CF137C6B8066D47E9924222557871FF217A849DB71E9258127BABC5A2C09721EFA65FEC56089789E710009862614E146F2A7254303BE237E9B5B1149A0F52909421DF0CB016C00DFD3B62EE7B34F5913E49945723519F1B3A1475159C0BBE34A313024BBDEAF58958451ED6C254257ADD2033DCC91495438B860288A27273A3C6B2FA518
http://www.galloimages.co.za/FotoWeb/FWbin/preview.dll/TL_733104.jpg?D=194D34A32530E41D50FA044CB2274152E9CA4DE8FB1B880F2D5CC6609181FA4121495AC61F405C618F8E33E5CF137C6B8066D47E9924222557871FF217A849DB2297DFC584D51DAD2C09721EFA65FEC56089789E710009862614E146F2A7254303BE237E9B5B1149A0F52909421DF0CB016C00DFD3B62EE7B34F5913E49945723519F1B3A1475159E29C1BCD2BA8D1C2DEAF58958451ED6C254257ADD2033DCC91495438B860288A27273A3C6B2FA518
http://www.galloimages.co.za/FotoWeb/FWbin/preview.dll/TL_733107.jpg?D=194D34A32530E41D50FA044CB2274152E9CA4DE8FB1B880F2D5CC6609181FA4121495AC61F405C618F8E33E5CF137C6B8066D47E9924222557871FF217A849DB60A6B42C617B22702C09721EFA65FEC56089789E710009862614E146F2A7254303BE237E9B5B1149A0F52909421DF0CB016C00DFD3B62EE7B34F5913E49945723519F1B3A1475159AAD3448B281D761EDEAF58958451ED6C254257ADD2033DCC91495438B860288A27273A3C6B2FA518
http://www.galloimages.co.za/FotoWeb/FWbin/preview.dll/TL_733108.jpg?D=194D34A32530E41D50FA044CB2274152E9CA4DE8FB1B880F2D5CC6609181FA4121495AC61F405C618F8E33E5CF137C6B8066D47E9924222557871FF217A849DB02220CEA4A8721752C09721EFA65FEC56089789E710009862614E146F2A7254303BE237E9B5B1149A0F52909421DF0CB016C00DFD3B62EE7B34F5913E49945723519F1B3A147515967AB7F23B9E8B7E1DEAF58958451ED6C254257ADD2033DCC91495438B860288A27273A3C6B2FA518
http://www.galloimages.co.za/FotoWeb/FWbin/preview.dll/TL_733109.jpg?D=194D34A32530E41D50FA044CB2274152E9CA4DE8FB1B880F2D5CC6609181FA4121495AC61F405C618F8E33E5CF137C6B8066D47E99242225F1A8988F2BC5254A894F367FC54962DC2C09721EFA65FEC56089789E710009862614E146F2A7254303BE237E9B5B1149A0F52909421DF0CB016C00DFD3B62EE7B34F5913E49945723519F1B3A1475159A285579906BE5171DEAF58958451ED6C254257ADD2033DCC91495438B860288A27273A3C6B2FA518

Im stoked the soccer clubs are staring to get more buisness like and develop their own stadiums rather than share with rugby.
What about Kaiser Chiefs? will they develop their own stadium?

they did and then it went down the drain :ohno:

well. we can say for sure that the 10 host stadiums, certainly arent the 10 best stadiums in south africa.

booth is terrible.

Uh... I thought he was the best player on the park

He played fairly good.

Kaiser Chiefs screwed up on their stadium.

booth gets the ball, takes 10 seconds, waits for pressure, and when it comes, he rushes and kicks the ball as far as he can, in the process, giving it away. hes not international quality, not by any stretch of the imagination.