Nelspruit, World Cup 2010, South Africa

The World Cup in South Africa 2010

Nelspruit

Nelspruit is right on the border to the Kruger National Park, one of Africa's great safari destinations, and is ideal for football fans looking to see some of Africa's magnificent wildlife whilst visiting for the World Cup.

The World Cup In Nelspruit

When South Africa won the right to host the 2010 FIFA World Cup, Nelspruit didn't have much in the way of sporting facilities.

The Mbombela Stadium changes all that. As well as being a brand new construction for the tournament, it has been designed to leave a lasting legacy of the beautiful game for the people of Mpumalanga.

The stadium is about 7 km from the city center and holds 40,000 people.

Nelspruit will host 4 first-round matches.

Nelspruit Match Schedule

Date	Stadium	Type	Team 1		Team 2
16 June, 13:30	Mbombela	Group H	Honduras	vs	Chile
20 June, 16:00	Mbombela	Group F	Italy	vs	New Zealand
23 June, 20:30	Mbombela	Group D	Australia	vs	Serbia
25 June, 16:00	Mbombela	Group G	North Korea	vs	Ivory Coast

Visiting Nelspruit During The World Cup

With Nelspruit as a major commercial hub and nearby White River and Hazyview also having a good range of accommodation there are plenty of hotel rooms and guest houses in the area.

However, whilst Nelspruit will only host 4 games, the fact that it is the gateway to Kruger will mean that accommodation will still likely to be hard to find in the area!

Between Games

In addition to Kruger and the safari lodges in the area, fans will also enjoy the scenic Panorama Route, the wildlife rehabilitation centers at Mholoholo and Hoedspruit, and good onward travel opportunities to Mozambique, Swaziland, and KwaZulu-Natal.

There are also ballon rides, quad-bikes, and white water rafting for anyone looking for a bit more of an adventure and taste of the outdoors.

Any Chance Of A Safari?

The decision about where to go on safari will be easier for fans based in and around Nelspruit than for any other set of fans visiting South Africa for the World Cup.

The Greater Kruger Park, which is one of Africa's largest and finest game reserves, is right on the doorstep and offers outstanding game viewing opportunities for day visitors, self-drive visitors who want to stay overnight in the park, and those wanting the unrivalled game viewing experience of a safari lodge.