City: Bloemfontein

Built: 1952

Completion of 2010 upgrade: June 2007

Capacity: 40,000

Distance from city centre: 2km

Situated only a few minutes drive from proposed FIFA and team hotels in Bloemfontein, the Free State Stadium, also known as Vodacom Park, is a dedicated sporting environment. It is close to independent stadiums for cricket, hockey, athletics and swimming, as well as several secondary fields. It has a good record of safety and security, ample parking and excellent corporate hospitality.

For the 2010 FIFA World Cup, a second tier will be added to the main grandstand, which will increase the seating capacity to 40 000. This should happen by June 2007. New turnstiles will be erected, the floodlights will be upgraded, electronic scoreboards will be installed and the sound system will be revamped.

Free State Stadium was used during the 1996 African Cup of Nations to host a pool group featuring Zambia, Algeria, Sierra Leone and Burkina Faso. South Africa’s national team, Bafana Bafana, have also played at the stadium on numerous occasions.