FNB Stadium
| Soccer City, The Calabash | |
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| Location | Stadium Avenue, Nasrec, Johannesburg, South Africa |
|---|---|
| Coordinates | 26°14′5.27″S 27°58′56.47″E / 26.2347972°S 27.9823528°ECoordinates: 26°14′5.27″S 27°58′56.47″E / 26.2347972°S 27.9823528°E |
| Owner | City of Johannesburg |
| Operator | Stadium Management South Africa |
| Executive suites | 195 |
| Capacity | 94,736 |
| Record attendance | 94,713 (South Africa-New Zealand, 21 August 2010) |
| Field size | 105m X 68m |
| Surface | Grass |
| Construction | |
| Broke ground | 1986 |
| Opened | 1989 |
| Renovated | 2009 |
| Expanded | 2009 |
| Construction cost |
Rand 3.3 billion (USD $ 440 million) |
| Architect | Boogertman & Partners, HOK Sport (now Populous) |
| Tenants | |
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1999 All-Africa Games Kaizer Chiefs South Africa national football team South Africa national rugby union team 2010 FIFA World Cup |
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First National Bank Stadium or simply FNB Stadium, also known as Soccer City and The Calabash, is a stadium located in Nasrec, bordering the Soweto area of Johannesburg, South Africa. The venue is managed by Stadium Management South Africa (SMSA) and is a home ground of Kaizer Chiefs F.C. in the South African Premier Soccer League as well as key fixtures for the South African national football team (Bafana Bafana).
It is located next to the South African Football Association headquarters (SAFA House) where both the FIFA offices and the Local Organising Committee for the 2010 FIFA World Cup were housed. Designed as the main association football stadium for the World Cup, the FNB Stadium became the largest stadium in Africa with a capacity of 94,736. However its maximum capacity during the 2010 FIFA World Cup was 84,490 due to reserved seating for the press and other VIPs. The stadium is also known by its nickname "The Calabash" due to its resemblance to the African pot or gourd.
It was the site of Nelson Mandela's first speech in Johannesburg after his release from prison in 1990, and served as the venue for a memorial service to him on 10 December 2013. It was also the site of Chris Hani's funeral. It was also the venue for the 2010 FIFA World Cup Final, which was played by the Netherlands and Spain. The World Cup closing ceremony on the day of the final saw the final public appearance of Mandela.
The stadium has been officially known as FNB Stadium since it was opened in 1989. This was due to a naming rights deal with First National Bank. During the 2010 FIFA World Cup, as well as in the month before the tournament, the stadium was referred to as Soccer City. This was done as FIFA does not allow stadiums to be referred to by sponsored names during FIFA-sanctioned tournaments. The stadium's current name is FNB Stadium.
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