Free State Stadium
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| Vodacom Park Stadium | |
|---|---|
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| Location | Bloemfontein, South Africa |
| Built | 1995 |
| Expanded | 2007-08 |
| Capacity | 48,000 |
| Tenants | |
| Free State Cheetahs Central Cheetahs Bloemfontein Celtic |
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The Free State Stadium, also known as Vodacom Park, is a stadium in Bloemfontein, South Africa, used for rugby union, as well as football (soccer). It was originally built in 1995 for that year's Rugby World Cup.
The primary rugby union tenants of the facility are:
- The Free State Cheetahs, which participate in South Africa's domestic competition, the Currie Cup
- The Central Cheetahs, which represents Free State and Northern Cape Provinces in the Super 14
The primary soccer tenant is:
- Bloemfontein Celtic, who play in the Premier Soccer League
Contents[hide] |
[edit] Sporting and Miscellaneous events
[edit] 1996 African Cup of Nations
The Free State Stadium was one of venues used for the 1996 African Cup of Nations. It hosted six group matches and a quarter-final match:
| Date | Time (UTC+2) | Team #1 | Res. | Team #2 | Round | Attendance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1996-01-14 |  Zambia |
0–0 |  Algeria |
Group B | 9,000 | |
| 1996-01-15 |  Siera Leone |
2–1 |  Burkina Faso |
Group B | 1,500 | |
| 1996-01-18 | Algeria |
2–0 | Siera Leone |
Group B | 1,500 | |
| 1996-01-20 | Zambia |
5–1 | Burkina Faso |
Group B | 2,000 | |
| 1996-01-24 | Zambia |
4–0 | Siera Leone |
Group B | 200 | |
| 1996-01-25 |  Ghana |
2–0 |  Mozambique |
Group D | 3,500 | |
| 1996-01-27 | Zambia |
3–1 |  Egypt |
Quarter-finals | 8,500 |
[edit] 2009 FIFA Confederations Cup
The Free State Stadium was one of the host venues for the 2009 FIFA Confederations Cup.
| Date | Time (UTC+2) | Team #1 | Res. | Team #2 | Round | Attendance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2009-06-15 | 16:00 |  Brazil |
4–3 | Egypt |
Group B | 27,851 |
| 2009-06-17 | 16:00 |  Spain |
1–0 |  Iraq |
Group A | 30,512 |
| 2009-06-20 | 20:30 | Spain |
2–0 |  South Africa |
Group A | 38,212 |
| 2009-06-24 | 20:30 | Spain |
0–2 |  United States |
Semi-final | 35,369 |
[edit] 2010 FIFA World Cup
In advance of the 2010 FIFA World Cup, a second tier was added to the main grandstand on the western side of the ground, increasing the net capacity from 36,538[1] to 48,000. 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 [2]. Tenders were advertised in February & March 2007. Upgrade work started in July 2007.[3]
| Date | Time (UTC+2) | Team #1 | Res. | Team #2 | Round | Attendance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010-06-14 | 16.00 |  Japan |
vs |  Cameroon |
Group E | – |
| 2010-06-17 | 16.00 |  Greece |
vs |  Nigeria |
Group B | – |
| 2010-06-20 | 13.30 |  Slovakia |
vs |  Paraguay |
Group F | – |
| 2010-06-22 | 16.00 |  France |
vs | South Africa |
Group A | – |
| 2010-06-25 | 20.30 |  Switzerland |
vs |  Honduras |
Group H | – |
| 2010-06-27 | 16.00 | Winners of Group D | vs | Runners-up of Group C | Round of 16 | – |
[edit] References
[edit] See also
[edit] External links
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Free State Stadium |
- Bloemfontein - Official Bloemfontein municipality website
- Free State Stadium Pictures
- 360 View
Coordinates: 29°07′02.25″S 26°12′31.85″E / 29.1172917°S 26.2088472°E
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