Brent Dyssell and his son enjoy the inaugural soccer match between Santos and Ajax Cape Town at Cape Town Stadium.

Cape Town Tourism has received a lot of positive feedback about Cape Town Stadium’s inaugural soccer match between Premier Soccer League clubs Santos and Ajax Cape Town last weekend.

Cape Town resident Brent Dyssell shared the highlights of his experience with Cape Town Tourism: “The stadium is awesome. The seating layout was efficient and the chairs were comfortable. The stadium’s cosine wave design, glass roof, green pitch and even the latrine facilities, are all world-class.

“The security was very good, but not overpowering, making sure people were moved in a controlled, swift manner. They were also very helpful and the crowd was friendly and warm.

“This trip to the Cape Town Stadium felt very much like the time when I was privileged to watch South Africa play Australia in the opening match of the 1995 Rugby World Cup.

“That experience, like this one, was a ‘proud to be South African’ moment!’”

Cape Town Tourism board member Pierre du Plessis also enjoyed the occasion. He said: “I work as a professional quantity surveyor and should not actually be surprised [by how vast the stadium is], but I am!

“The sheer dimensions of internal walkways, stairs, the external podium for circulating outside the building, are all more than adequate.”

Cape Town Stadium. Photo courtesy Steve Crane

Cape Town Stadium will no longer host Bafana Bafana and Colombia on May 27, after the South African Football Association (Safa) changed the venues for all three of the national team’s fixtures before the 2010 FIFA World Cup™.

The match will now be played at Soccer City in Johannesburg. According to news website Independent Online, Safa chief executive, Leslie Sedibe, said this was done “in the interests of team preparation”, given that Bafana Bafana play their opening 2010 FIFA World Cup™ match there, against Mexico on June 11.

“ ... I know the people of Cape Town were looking forward to the game and we regret the inconvenience, but it is important for our guys, when they walk out at Soccer City on June 11 [for the World Cup opener against Mexico], that they have already been there,” said Sedibe.

Bafana Bafana have not played a match in Cape Town since 2007.

Cape Town Stadium will host France and Uruguay on June 11, after Bafana Bafana’s opening match.

See a full fixture list for the 2010 FIFA World Cup™.

Photo by Bronwen D’Oliveira

Filip from Poland (pictured) came to Cape Town last week to work as a volunteer at 2010 FIFA World Cup™ matches at Cape Town Stadium.

He thinks Cape Town is: “very open and friendly”.

He enjoyed playing football with some people in Sea Point on Sunday. While he is here, he wants to see Cape Point and Table Mountain, as he enjoys nature.

Filip was at Cape Town Stadium last night for the match between defending world champions, Italy, and South American underdogs, Paraguay, who did very well to secure a 1-1 draw against expectations.

Volunteers, like Filip, help spectators find their seats and provide them with useful information.

Read our blog about the match, see our photographs and watch the Zoopy TV video of the event.

See a full list of fixtures for Cape Town Stadium.

Every day I witness the steady progress of the new Green Point Stadium.

I would never have thought a soccer stadium would wow me, but this one sure wows the world!

On March 18, 2009, the day after the flames of a devastating bush fire engulfed Table Mountain, the magnificent South African sky was set alight by the many dust particles in the air. High, ragged cumulus clouds over the stadium combined with the setting sun made me rush for my camera to capture this shot.

The showpiece of soccer’s 2010 World Cup as seen from the Tigresse at sunset against the backdrop of Table Mountain, Devil’s Peak, Signal Hill, Lion’s Head and the city of Cape Town.

A glass of tasty South African champagne in my hand, my camera ready to shoot in my other and the sight of beautiful Cape Town – all made me believe I had died and gone to heaven!

I can’t recommend this highly enough. Take a boat trip when you are in Cape Town – they are not that expensive and it’s a totally different perspective of the city, with breathtaking views.

One of the major factors considered in the design of the stadium’s 36 000 square metre hanging glass roof, supported by an outer compression ring and inner tension ring, was Cape Town’s notorious wind, particularly the south-easter.

The use of heavy glass for the roof will prevent wind damage, as will the use of a truss system on top of the compression ring to reduce turbulence. It also helps create the shape of the roof, and distributes the uneven loads evenly to the cables.

April 7, 2009: After some rain which cleared the dust from the air, I decided to drive up Signal Hill to take a few long exposure shots. There are many people, especially tourists, who come to see the views and the big-sky sunset, so I feel quite safe.

How I love the sight of this town – any time, any day!

April 19, 2009: Two weeks later and you can clearly see they are racing ahead.

The white building behind the stadium is the five-star Radisson Hotel. There are many hotels and guest houses in all price ranges within walking distance of the stadium.

Now I am waiting with bated breath for the first glass panels! Fitting of the Green Point Stadium’s glass roof is expected to get under way on Monday April 27, two months ahead of schedule.

Joanne, aka Joanne/CapeTownFIFAWORLDCUP2010, is a member of the Cape Town Tourism Flickr Group, “Cape Town. Live it. Love it”. Visit Joanne’s Flickr photostream.

Do you have images of Cape Town you’d like to share with us? We’d love you to join the Cape Town. Live it. Love it. Flickr group!

Images © Joanne 2009, all rights reserved

My home is high up the slopes of Signal Hill. It has a 180-degree view over the Green Point Common, the Green Point Stadium and the sea all the way out to Robben Island.

So I had mixed feelings when the bulldozers broke down the old stadium in March 2007, making place for Cape Town’s new 2010 World Cup stadium – a massive 16-storey complex, measuring 276m (905ft) in length and 255m (836ft) in width. Like many Capetonians, I was concerned about how the new Green Point Stadium would alter the city’s skyline.

One month later, in April 2007, this was all that was left of the old stadium. The demolition was complete.

There is a lookout point situated at the very end of Signal Hill Road. It’s a fantastic place to watch the sunset and it has beautiful views. One very windy but clear evening (November 18, 2007), at the risk of being blown off the slope of Signal Hill, I managed to take this shot (below).

Here you can see the footprint of the new stadium. It’s going to occupy just under 7ha (17 acres).

I took this shot (below) in December 2007 from the summit of Table Mountain. You can see the construction of the new Green Point stadium on the bottom left. It’s within walking distance of my favourite entertainment and shopping area, the V&A Waterfront.

End May 2008: What a monster… Just look at the tiny men working on the building site.

End October 2008: I captured the sunset setting the cranes alight.

My feelings have changed over time, watching this ugly duckling change into a beautiful swan! I am now excited and look forward to seeing the symbol of the soccer World Cup 2010, our new high-tech Green Point Stadium, finished by the end of 2009. What do you think? Will it be beautiful or not?

Watch this space! On my Flickr photo site I regularly post photos of the progress of the construction of the Green Point Stadium.

Joanne, aka Joanne/CapeTownFIFAWORLDCUP2010, is a member of the Cape Town Tourism Flickr Group, “Cape Town. Live it. Love it”. Visit Joanne’s Flickr photostream.

Do you have images of Cape Town you’d like to share with us? We’d love you to join the Cape Town. Live it. Love it. Flickr group!

Images © Joanne 2009. All rights reserved.