Free State Stadium
Encyclopedia
The Free State Stadium also known as Vodacom Park, is a stadium in Bloemfontein
, South Africa
, used mainly for rugby union
and association football. It was originally built for the 1995 Rugby World Cup
, and was one of the venues for the 2010 FIFA World Cup
.
The primary rugby union tenants of the facility are:
The primary association football tenant is:
. It hosted first round matches in Pool C during the tournament.
. It hosted six group matches and a quarter-final match:
.
, a second tier was added to the main grandstand on the western side of the ground, increasing the net capacity from 36,538 to 40,911. Additionally, new turnstiles were created, the floodlights upgraded, electronic scoreboards installed, the sound system revamped to the required standards, and CCTV and media facilities improved.
Bloemfontein
received R221 million to upgrade the stadium. Though cost estimates were at R245 million, the city decided to stand in for the R24m shortfall. Tenders were advertised in February & March 2007. Upgrade work started in July 2007.
Bloemfontein
Bloemfontein is the capital city of the Free State Province of South Africa; and, as the judicial capital of the nation, one of South Africa's three national capitals – the other two being Cape Town, the legislative capital, and Pretoria, the administrative capital.Bloemfontein is popularly and...
, South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
, used mainly for rugby union
Rugby union
Rugby union, often simply referred to as rugby, is a full contact team sport which originated in England in the early 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand...
and association football. It was originally built for the 1995 Rugby World Cup
1995 Rugby World Cup
The 1995 Rugby World Cup was the third Rugby World Cup. It was hosted and won by South Africa, and was the first Rugby World Cup in which every match was held in one country....
, and was one of the venues for the 2010 FIFA World Cup
2010 FIFA World Cup
The 2010 FIFA World Cup was the 19th FIFA World Cup, the world championship for men's national association football teams. It took place in South Africa from 11 June to 11 July 2010...
.
The primary rugby union tenants of the facility are:
- The Central CheetahsCentral CheetahsThe Central Cheetahs, known for sponsorship reasons as the Toyota Cheetahs, is a South African rugby union team that entered the Super Rugby competition in 2006. The franchise area encompasses the Free State and Northern Cape. In terms of Currie Cup unions, the Cheetahs draw from Free State...
, which represents Free StateFree StateThe Free State is a province of South Africa. Its capital is Bloemfontein, which is also South Africa's judicial capital. Its historical origins lie in the Orange Free State Boer republic and later Orange Free State Province. The current borders of the province date from 1994 when the Bantustans...
and Northern CapeNorthern CapeThe Northern Cape is the largest and most sparsely populated province of South Africa. It was created in 1994 when the Cape Province was split up. Its capital is Kimberley. It includes the Kalahari Gemsbok National Park, part of an international park shared with Botswana...
provinces in the international Super 14Super 14Super Rugby is the largest and pre-eminent professional Rugby union competition in the Southern Hemisphere...
competition. - The Free State CheetahsFree State CheetahsThe Free State Cheetahs , currently named the Toyota Free State Cheetahs, for sponsorship reasons, are a South African rugby union team that participates in the annual Currie Cup tournament. They are governed by the Free State Rugby Union and are based at the 37,076-capacity Vodacom Park in...
, which participate in South Africa's domestic competition, the Currie CupCurrie CupThe Currie Cup tournament is South Africa's premier domestic rugby union competition, played each winter and spring , featuring teams representing either entire provinces or substantial regions within provinces...
.
The primary association football tenant is:
- Bloemfontein Celtic, who play in South Africa's domestic Premier Soccer LeaguePremier Soccer LeaguePremier Soccer League is the trading name of the National Soccer League of South Africa. The top league is the ABSA Premiership, sponsored by ABSA...
.
1995 Rugby World Cup
The stadium was one of the host venues for the 1995 Rugby World Cup1995 Rugby World Cup
The 1995 Rugby World Cup was the third Rugby World Cup. It was hosted and won by South Africa, and was the first Rugby World Cup in which every match was held in one country....
. It hosted first round matches in Pool C during the tournament.
| Date | Team #1 | Res. | Team #2 | Round | Attendance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1995-05-27 | 10–57 | Group C 1995 Rugby World Cup The 1995 Rugby World Cup was the third Rugby World Cup. It was hosted and won by South Africa, and was the first Rugby World Cup in which every match was held in one country.... |
12,000 | ||
| 1995-05-31 | 50–28 | Group C 1995 Rugby World Cup The 1995 Rugby World Cup was the third Rugby World Cup. It was hosted and won by South Africa, and was the first Rugby World Cup in which every match was held in one country.... |
15,000 | ||
| 1995-06-04 | 17–145 | Group C 1995 Rugby World Cup The 1995 Rugby World Cup was the third Rugby World Cup. It was hosted and won by South Africa, and was the first Rugby World Cup in which every match was held in one country.... |
17,000 |
1996 African Cup of Nations
The Free State Stadium was one of venues used for the 1996 African Cup of Nations1996 African Cup of Nations
-Group B:---------------------Group C:------------ withdrew, so their three matches were canceled.*vs. , January 16, 1996*vs. , January 19, 1996*vs...
. It hosted six group matches and a quarter-final match:
| Date | Time (UTC+2 UTC+2 UTC+02 is an identifier for a time offset from UTC of +02. In ISO 8601 the associated time would be written as . This time is used in:-Central Africa Time:*Botswana*Burundi*Democratic Republic of the Congo... ) |
Team #1 | Res. | Team #2 | Round | Attendance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1996-01-14 |  ZambiaZambia national football team The Zambia national football team represents the country of Zambia in the sport of association football and is governed by the Football Association of Zambia. Before independence they were known as the Northern Rhodesia national football team. The side is nicknamed Chipolopolo as copper is one of... |
0–0 |  AlgeriaAlgeria national football team The Algeria national football team , nicknamed الأفنــاك, Les Fennecs , represents Algeria in association football and is controlled by the Fédération Algérienne de Football. Algeria's home ground is the Stade 5 Juillet 1962 in Algiers and their head coach is Vahid Halilhodžić.Algeria has qualified... |
Group B | 9,000 | |
| 1996-01-15 |  Sierra LeoneSierra Leone national football team The Sierra Leone national football team, nicknamed the Leone Stars, is the national team of Sierra Leone and is controlled by the Sierra Leone Football Association... |
2–1 |  Burkina FasoBurkina Faso national football team The Burkina Faso national football team, nicknamed Les Etalons , is the national team of Burkina Faso and is controlled by the Fédération Burkinabé de Foot-Ball. They were known as the Upper Volta national football team until 1984, when Upper Volta became Burkina Faso... |
Group B | 1,500 | |
| 1996-01-18 | Algeria Algeria national football team The Algeria national football team , nicknamed الأفنــاك, Les Fennecs , represents Algeria in association football and is controlled by the Fédération Algérienne de Football. Algeria's home ground is the Stade 5 Juillet 1962 in Algiers and their head coach is Vahid Halilhodžić.Algeria has qualified... |
2–0 | Sierra Leone Sierra Leone national football team The Sierra Leone national football team, nicknamed the Leone Stars, is the national team of Sierra Leone and is controlled by the Sierra Leone Football Association... |
Group B | 1,500 | |
| 1996-01-20 | Zambia Zambia national football team The Zambia national football team represents the country of Zambia in the sport of association football and is governed by the Football Association of Zambia. Before independence they were known as the Northern Rhodesia national football team. The side is nicknamed Chipolopolo as copper is one of... |
5–1 | Burkina Faso Burkina Faso national football team The Burkina Faso national football team, nicknamed Les Etalons , is the national team of Burkina Faso and is controlled by the Fédération Burkinabé de Foot-Ball. They were known as the Upper Volta national football team until 1984, when Upper Volta became Burkina Faso... |
Group B | 2,000 | |
| 1996-01-24 | Zambia Zambia national football team The Zambia national football team represents the country of Zambia in the sport of association football and is governed by the Football Association of Zambia. Before independence they were known as the Northern Rhodesia national football team. The side is nicknamed Chipolopolo as copper is one of... |
4–0 | Sierra Leone Sierra Leone national football team The Sierra Leone national football team, nicknamed the Leone Stars, is the national team of Sierra Leone and is controlled by the Sierra Leone Football Association... |
Group B | 200 | |
| 1996-01-25 |  GhanaGhana national football team The Ghana national football team, popularly known as the Black Stars, is the national association football team of Ghana and is controlled by the Ghana Football Association... |
2–0 |  MozambiqueMozambique national football team The Mozambique national football team , popularly known as Os Mambas, represents Mozambique in association football and is controlled by the Federação Moçambicana de Futebol, the governing body for football in Mozambique... |
Group D | 3,500 | |
| 1996-01-27 | Zambia Zambia national football team The Zambia national football team represents the country of Zambia in the sport of association football and is governed by the Football Association of Zambia. Before independence they were known as the Northern Rhodesia national football team. The side is nicknamed Chipolopolo as copper is one of... |
3–1 |  Egypt |
Quarter-finals | 8,500 |
2009 FIFA Confederations Cup
The Free State Stadium was one of the host venues for the 2009 FIFA Confederations Cup2009 FIFA Confederations Cup
The 2009 FIFA Confederations Cup was the eighth Confederations Cup, and was held in South Africa from 14 June to 28 June 2009 as a prelude to the 2010 FIFA World Cup. The draw was held on 22 November 2008 at the Sandton Convention Centre in Johannesburg. The opening match was played at Ellis Park...
.
| Date | Time (UTC+2 UTC+2 UTC+02 is an identifier for a time offset from UTC of +02. In ISO 8601 the associated time would be written as . This time is used in:-Central Africa Time:*Botswana*Burundi*Democratic Republic of the Congo... ) |
Team #1 | Res. | Team #2 | Round | Attendance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2009-06-15 | 16:00 |  BrazilBrazil national football team The Brazil national football team represents Brazil in international men's football and is controlled by the Brazilian Football Confederation , the governing body for football in Brazil. They are a member of the International Federation of Association Football since 1923 and also a member of the... |
4–3 | Egypt |
Group B | 27,851 |
| 2009-06-17 | 16:00 |  SpainSpain national football team The Spain national football team represents Spain in international association football and is controlled by the Royal Spanish Football Federation, the governing body for football in Spain. The current head coach is Vicente del Bosque... |
1–0 |  IraqIraq national football team The Iraqi national football team represents Iraq in international football and is controlled by the Iraq Football Association. They won the 2007 Asian Football Confederation Asian Cup tournament.-The Golden Generation:... |
Group A | 30,512 |
| 2009-06-20 | 20:30 | Spain Spain national football team The Spain national football team represents Spain in international association football and is controlled by the Royal Spanish Football Federation, the governing body for football in Spain. The current head coach is Vicente del Bosque... |
2–0 |  South AfricaSouth Africa national football team The South Africa national football team represents South Africa in association football and is controlled by the South African Football Association, the governing body for football in South Africa. South Africa's home ground is Soccer City, known as FNB Stadium due to a naming rights deal, in... |
Group A | 38,212 |
| 2009-06-24 | 20:30 | Spain Spain national football team The Spain national football team represents Spain in international association football and is controlled by the Royal Spanish Football Federation, the governing body for football in Spain. The current head coach is Vicente del Bosque... |
0–2 |  United StatesUnited States men's national soccer team The United States men's national soccer team represents the United States in international association football competitions. It is controlled by the United States Soccer Federation and competes in CONCACAF... |
Semi-final | 35,369 |
2010 FIFA World Cup
In advance of the 2010 FIFA World Cup2010 FIFA World Cup
The 2010 FIFA World Cup was the 19th FIFA World Cup, the world championship for men's national association football teams. It took place in South Africa from 11 June to 11 July 2010...
, a second tier was added to the main grandstand on the western side of the ground, increasing the net capacity from 36,538 to 40,911. Additionally, new turnstiles were created, the floodlights upgraded, electronic scoreboards installed, the sound system revamped to the required standards, and CCTV and media facilities improved.
Bloemfontein
Bloemfontein
Bloemfontein is the capital city of the Free State Province of South Africa; and, as the judicial capital of the nation, one of South Africa's three national capitals – the other two being Cape Town, the legislative capital, and Pretoria, the administrative capital.Bloemfontein is popularly and...
received R221 million to upgrade the stadium. Though cost estimates were at R245 million, the city decided to stand in for the R24m shortfall. Tenders were advertised in February & March 2007. Upgrade work started in July 2007.
| Date | Time (UTC+2 UTC+2 UTC+02 is an identifier for a time offset from UTC of +02. In ISO 8601 the associated time would be written as . This time is used in:-Central Africa Time:*Botswana*Burundi*Democratic Republic of the Congo... ) |
Team #1 | Res. | Team #2 | Round | Attendance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010-06-14 | 16.00 |  JapanJapan national football team The Japan national football team represents Japan in association football and is operated by the Japan Football Association, the governing body for association football in Japan... |
1–0 |  CameroonCameroon national football team The Cameroon national football team, nicknamed Les Lions Indomptables , is controlled by the Fédération Camerounaise de Football and is Africa's most successful side in FIFA world cup; having qualified for the FIFA World Cup six times – in 1982, 1990, 1994, 1998, 2002 and 2010– more than any... |
Group E 2010 FIFA World Cup Group E Group E of the 2010 FIFA World Cup began on 14 June and ended on 24 June 2010. The group consisted of the Netherlands, Denmark, Japan and Cameroon. None of these teams have previously met in a World Cup group stage.... |
30,620 |
| 2010-06-17 | 16.00 |  GreeceGreece national football team The Greece national football team represents Greece in association football and is controlled by the Hellenic Football Federation, the governing body for football in Greece. Greece's home ground is Karaiskakis Stadium in Piraeus and their head coach is Fernando Santos... |
2–1 |  NigeriaNigeria national football team The Nigeria national football team, nicknamed the Super Eagles or Green Eagles, is the national team of Nigeria and is controlled by the Nigeria Football Federation . The team has ranked as high as 5th in the FIFA World Rankings, in April 1994... |
Group B 2010 FIFA World Cup Group B Group B of the 2010 FIFA World Cup began on 12 June and ended on 22 June 2010. The group consisted of Argentina, Nigeria, Korea Republic and Greece.... |
31,593 |
| 2010-06-20 | 13.30 |  SlovakiaSlovakia national football team The Slovakia national football team represents Slovakia in association football and is controlled by the Slovak Football Association , the governing body for football in Slovakia. Slovakia's home stadium is Štadión Pasienky and their head coach is Vladimír Weiss... |
0–2 |  ParaguayParaguay national football team The Paraguay national football team is controlled by the Paraguayan Football Association and represents Paraguay in men's international football competitions. The team has reached the second round of the World Cup on four occasions . The 2010 trip also featured their first appearance in the... |
Group F 2010 FIFA World Cup Group F Group F of the 2010 FIFA World Cup began on 14 June 2010 and ended on 24 June 2010. The group consisted of reigning World Cup holders Italy, Paraguay, New Zealand and Slovakia. Italy previously met Paraguay in 1950, in which Italy defeated Paraguay 2–0; neither qualified for the next round.Paraguay... |
26,643 |
| 2010-06-22 | 16.00 |  FranceFrance national football team The France national football team represents the nation of France in international football. It is fielded by the French Football Federation , the governing body of football in France, and competes as a member of UEFA, which encompasses the countries of Europe... |
1–2 | South Africa South Africa national football team The South Africa national football team represents South Africa in association football and is controlled by the South African Football Association, the governing body for football in South Africa. South Africa's home ground is Soccer City, known as FNB Stadium due to a naming rights deal, in... |
Group A 2010 FIFA World Cup Group A Group A of the 2010 FIFA World Cup began on 11 June and ended on 22 June 2010. The group consisted of France, Mexico, Uruguay and the host nation South Africa. France and South Africa previously met at the 1998 FIFA World Cup; France beat South Africa 3–0. France and Uruguay previously met at the... |
39,415 |
| 2010-06-25 | 20.30 |  SwitzerlandSwitzerland national football team The Swiss national football team is the national football team of Switzerland... |
0–0 |  HondurasHonduras national football team The Honduran national football team, nicknamed Los Catrachos, La Bicolor or La H, is the national team of Honduras and is controlled by the Federación Nacional Autónoma de Fútbol de Honduras... |
Group H 2010 FIFA World Cup Group H Group H of the 2010 FIFA World Cup began on 16 June and ended on 25 June 2010. The group consisted of reigning European champions Spain, Switzerland, Honduras and Chile.... |
28,042 |
| 2010-06-27 | 16.00 |  GermanyGermany national football team The Germany national football team is the football team that has represented Germany in international competition since 1908. It is governed by the German Football Association , which was founded in 1900.... |
4–1 |  EnglandEngland national football team The England national football team represents England in association football and is controlled by the Football Association, the governing body for football in England. England is the joint oldest national football team in the world, alongside Scotland, whom they played in the world's first... |
Round of 16 | 40,510 |
External links
- Bloemfontein: Official municipality website
- Free State Stadium pictures
- 360 View