World Cup Stadiums: Peter Mokaba Stadium

Venues And Conditions / Ben Lyttleton / 31 March 2010 / Leave a comment Free £25 Bet

The Peter Mokaba Stadium hosts the likes of Argentina and France

Designed to look like a tree, named after a celebrated anti-apartheid campaigner and situated in football mad Limpopo - Ben Lyttleton provides the info on the Peter Mokaba Stadium.

"Previous World Cup winners France and Argentina, with stars like Franck Ribery and Lionel Messi, will provide the biggest draw for the region but both teams face tough matches against tricky opponents at the Peter Mokaba Stadium."

The Peter Mokaba Stadium is a newly-built venue for the World Cup, replacing the old Peter Mokaba Stadium after initial upgrade plans were abandoned in favour of a new construction. The design of the stadium is based upon the iconic Baobab tree with each corner of the arena supported by enormous "trunks", which accommodate vertical circulation ramps and service cores, where the steel structure holding up the roof is anchored. The Baobab tree is the biggest in Africa.

It is named after Peter Mokaba, one of the renowned sons of the struggle and emancipation of the country against the apartheid regime and situated in Polokwane, the capital of football-mad province Limpopo. The stadium is 5km from the city centre, with a total seating capacity of 45,000 ­ and there will be packed houses for the four first-round matches that it will host: Algeria v Slovenia, France v Mexico, Greece v Argentina and Paraguay v New Zealand.

Previous World Cup winners France and Argentina, with stars like Franck Ribery and Lionel Messi, will provide the biggest draw for the region but both teams face tough matches against tricky opponents at the Peter Mokaba Stadium. As the man who stood up for the underdog, it would suit Mokaba if this were the venue where shocks took place.

The footballing legacy of the stadium is sparse, even though it hosts Premier League side Black Leopards and first division side Winner's Park. Perhaps it is best known as the arena where, in 2002, Didier Drogba made his Ivory Coast debut in an African Cup of Nations qualifier against South Africa. On that occasion, Bafana Bafana won 2-1, securing themselves a place in the 2004 competition.

Polokwane, which means 'place of safety', was previously known as Pietersburg, and is surrounded by four of South Africa's neighbours: Botswana, Zimbabwe, Mozambique, and Swaziland. Over 1,300m above sea level and just south of of the Tropic of Capricorn, the region is known for its grasslands surrounded by scenic mountains, referred to as "Koppies".

The town of Polokwane only earned city status in 1992 but it has grown grown rapidly given its proximity to Gauteng and the rich agricultural district surrounding it. Now it is the major centre and capital city of the Limpopo province.

Polokwane is steeped in mythology and the Polokwane Museum charts the history of the Mapungubwe people who flourished during the Iron Age and Modjadji, the Rain Queen. If hiking trails in the Polokwane Game Reserve are too sedate, then the regular snake demonstrations are the Polokwane Bird & Reptile Park, or the feeding-sessions with the crocodiles at Cheune Crocodile Farm, should satisfy the more adventurous visitor. There are also 4x4 adventure excursions through the mountains on offer, while Polokwane is considered the premier hunting destination in South Africa.

Tags: Franck Ribery, Lionel Messi, Peter Mokaba Stadium, South Africa 2010 betting, World Cup betting