Johannesburg Ready For Confederations Cup Opener

Johannesburg has pulled out all the stops to ensure that everything is ready for the grand opening of the newly refurbished Coca-Cola Park stadium.

Formally known as the Ellis Park Stadium, the newly refurbished and modernised stadium will play host to the opening FIFA Confederations Cup on June 14th between Bafana and Iraq.  Organisers are expecting up to 64,000 people to attend the event and opening ceremony.

The capacity of the stadium has been increased from 60,000 to 65,000 with additional seating on the northern side in readiness for the  2010 FIFA World Cup games. Coca-Cola Park will host five group games, one second round game and one quarter-final of the tournament.

With the Coca-Cola Park stadium located near Johannesburg and a short distance from O.R. Tambo International Airport, it’s expected that the 2010 FIFA World Cup games will bring a welcome boost to the local economy. Local business and tourism related services (including hotels, restaurants and public transport networks) are preparing for the influx of visitors, as are airport services like the Airport lounges at Johannesburg’s O.R. Tambo International Airport, who will be taking care of passengers flying out of the country after the games.