By Tabisa Mntengwana
08 October 2009

BUFFALO CITY is determined to make an impact come the 2010 FIFA World Cup™.

It has put forward two of its flagship stadiums be used as base camps and training venues for visiting football teams.

The two stadiums – Absa Stadium and Gompo Stadium – have been approved by FIFA.

The Absa Stadium, in Arcadia, East London, can seat 10 000 people and currently has a main field, a training field, and floodlights.

There is also a parking area, a collapsible fence around the main field, a ticket office, two blocks of ablution facilities, a VIP area, and a media office. It also has a number of hawkers’ stands.

Buffalo City has begun upgrading the stadium to meet the requirements of the world football body for a team base camp, with the installation of high-quality lighting.

The stadium currently has one block of change rooms, two sets of goal posts and nets, a ticket office, a number of portable seating stands, two main fields and fencing.

Additional work will begin at Gompo Stadium, in East London, before the end of the year.

This will ensure that by February 2010, the field will be ready for the teams. In all, the turf will be upgraded; lighting will be installed; 200 media seats will be installed; and proper dressing rooms and parking will be added.

In addition to the training venues, Buffalo City is set to have high quality accommodation that could be relatively easily provided with a security cordon for the safety and privacy of the players, team management and their support, according to municipality’s 2010 project manager, Roy Young.

The Gompo Stadium has been linked to the King David Premier Hotel in Quigney, while Absa Stadium is linked to the Blue Lagoon Hotel in Beacon Bay.

Both hotels are within easy reach of the airport: King David Premier Hotel is eight kilometres away from the East London Airport and the Blue Lagoon Hotel is approximately 18 kilometres away from the airport.

According to a report by the City, Buffalo City is an ideal choice for those who want privacy in an excellent setting to get the optimum concentration and focus from players and support staff.

“Buffalo City is an ideal training camp for those who want to get away from the congestion and pollution of big cities or extreme winter conditions,” reads the report.

The City has already kicked off its 2010 game plan to ensure that its residents are part of the excitement in the run up to and the days after the event.

As part of the game plan, during the Confederations Cup earlier this year, Buffalo City set up a big screen at the Sisa Dukashe Stadium in Mdantsane, where fans could watch all the games during the tournament.

The Confederations Cup was widely viewed as test run for the biggest sporting event ever in the country – the 2010 FIFA World Cup™.