Durban has had a long footballing history. The first league was started in the KwaZulu-Natal Province.
The biggest match the city has hosted was when South Africa played a full strength England national team in 2002. Durban was also the venue for South Africa’s first post-apartheid game when they played Cameroon, winning1-0 at King’s Park. The city also hosted group, quarter and semi-final matches during the 1996 CAF Africa Cup of Nations. Tunisia secured their place in the final when they beat Zambia 4-2.
The new Durban stadium will pick up where King’s Park left off and provide a world-class venue for football games. It will be have a gross seating capacity of 70,000, and the design of the stadium will be characterized by two large archways which arc 100 meters above the stadium roof.
The new three-tiered stadium will be part of the Durban’s King Park sporting precinct. The sporting precinct will also include a variety of different sporting disciplines including athletics, rugby, golf and swimming.
The stadium is one of the venues for the 2010 FIFA World Cup and will host five group games, one second round game, one quarter-final and a semi-final match. Some wondered whether Durban actually needed a new stadium and were critical of the new venue, claiming that it would become a “white elephant” after the FIFA World Cup. For example the shack dwellers’ movement Abahlali baseMjondolo has strenuously opposed the building of this stadium. However, the stadium may be used to bid for future Rugby World Cups and, since it will have an athletic track, future athletic or multi-sport events.