Port Elizabeth: FIFA Confederations Cup to be played at five venues

Port Elizabeth/Nelson Mandela Bay will be kept in the match schedule for the FIFA Confederations Cup in South Africa in 2009

After comprehensive analysis and tight monitoring over the last few months the Board of Directors of the 2010 FIFA World Cup Organising Committee South Africa (SALOC) on 6 May 2008 confirmed that the FIFA Confederations Cup 2009 will be played at five venues as originally scheduled.

This means that Port Elizabeth/Nelson Mandela Bay will be kept in the match schedule following guarantees provided by the city and its delegation to the Board meeting, headed by Mayor Nondumiso Maphasi and Deputy Mayor Bicks Ndoni as well the MEC for Sports and Recreation of Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality Noxolo Ntantiso.

The Board and FIFA Secretary General Jérôme Valcke stressed that the end of March 2008 is the final deadline which can be provided to Port Elizabeth, as the only newly built Confederations Cup stadium, to be fully operational.

“At this stage all five stadiums are still in. We are placing tight monitoring on all of them and if by any chance if any of them fails to comply with the agreed deadlines they will be removed (from the FIFA Confederations Cup schedule).

Port Elizabeth is a new stadium and that’s why we have been patient with them. Recently they have accelerated the process, which gives us comfort. That the FIFA Confederations Cup is a success is a matter of national pride”, said Irvin Khoza, SALOC Chairman.

The board stressed that it is imperative that all five stadiums will be delivered according to the FIFA technical requirements and timelines which have already been provided. Therefore, the Board asked the Organising Committee Technical Team (OCTT) to closely monitor the progress of the constructions and upgrades at all five venues at Johannesburg/Ellis Park, Rustenburg/Royal Bafokeng, Loftus Versfeld in Tshwane/Pretoria, Freestate stadium in Mangaung/Bloemfontein as well as the Nelson Mandela Bay stadium in Port Elizabeth to make sure all guarantees and requirements are met in time.

This is crucial to ensure that there is sufficient opportunity for testing of the facility and training directly related to the running of the facility, this includes security stewards, parking staff and hospitality among others.

“We have submitted a letter on 24 January 2008 to the Local Organising Committee outlining the crucial deadlines for completion of the stadium. The answers received over the last few days as well as a site visit made us believe that PE will be able to be ready by 30 March 2009.

On this basis we have decided to stick to the schedule with five venues but all dates indicated on our letter will be closely monitored by the OCTT and FIFA and any deviation from the dates will have consequences.

It is vital that all stadiums will be meeting the indicated FIFA requirements and deadlines and this will be monitored and handled accordingly, ” said FIFA Secretary General.

Molo Says: "For full updates on the 2009 Confederation Cup in South Africa, as well as ticket information on both this event and the 2010 Soccer World Cup, subcribe to our Editor Pick's newsletter.

Locations of the stadiums can be found in our Soccer Google Earth Map of South Africa"