The South African National team has played on this pitch and cricket has also graced the playing fields of what is a quintessentially British ground with its steep tiers close to the pitch making the crowd feel as if they are on top of the player. In its long history the stadium has seen many upgrades and as the World Cup approached the final touches were put into place to make this a superb stadium to watch any game in. The venue has a 50,000 all seater capacity and now has new flood lights, sound system and score board. The arena also boasts one of the best media designated areas in the newly constructed in the lower level of the west stand.
Pretoria is one of South Africas three capitals and is serving as the executive and de facto national capital. Compared to the other capitals Pretoria is more compact and has a more relaxed and cultured feel to it. In comparison to the other major cities there is not as much to do here, the main focus is on Church Square where the 19th-century Palace of Justice is found, this is where Nelson Mandela was tried for treason in 1964. Many people claim that this is the perfect base for the travelling fan as Johannesburg is only 40 minutes away by car whilst Rustenburg is 110km away. The City has many restaurants and there is no doubt that any taste that the travelling fan would want is catered for here especially in the up market suburbs of Hatfield and Brooklyn. The World Cup Fan Park will be held at the City Event Centre and will have a great atmosphere and amenities come match day.
The key game that will be held at The Loftus Versfeld stadium is the second round clash between the winners of group F and the runners up of group E which could end up being Italy v Holland. The group games that the crowds at Pretoria will see are headlined by the host nations crunch tie with Uruguay on June 16th, this game will no doubt get the stadium in full voice. The 25th June will see European Champions Spain play Chile in what could be a group decider, whilst there will also be a big African presence in the stadium over the month of June with Serbia playing Ghana on the 13th June, Cameroon playing Denmark and North Africans Algeria taking on the USA on the 19th and 23rd respectively. Its is guaranteed, that being the first World Cup in Africa all the teams and fans from the continent will be in buoyant mood meaning Pretoria will be the a great place to be during the group stages.
