Nelspruit host city of the 2010 World Cup. Mbombela Stadium match listings, how to get to Nelspruit, where to stay, what to do, and more below.
Stadium, Capacity and Who Will Play in Nelspruit
Nelspruit's stadium is called the Mbombela Stadium with a capacity of 46,000. Mbombela in siSwati literally means 'many people together in a small space'. The stadium has been built specifically for the 2010 World Cup. 4 first-round matches of the 2010 FIFA World Cup will be played here:
* 16 June 2010 -- Matches: Honduras – Chile -- Time: 13:30
* 20 June 2010 -- Matches: Italy – New Zealand -- Time: 16:00
* 23 June 2010 -- Matches: Australia – Serbia -- Time: 20:30
* 25 June 2010 -- Matches: Korea DPR – Ivory Coast -- Time: 16:00
About Nelspruit
Nelspruit is the capital of South Africa's Mpumulanga Province in the north east of the country. This is one of the most beautiful provinces in South Africa. Nelspruit is right on the border of South Africa's most famous wildlife park, Kruger National Park. Nelspruit is a small city with a population of around 220,000. Mozambique is less than an hour drive away. The city lies on the banks of the Crocodile River.
Weird fact about Nelspruit: Nelspruit used to have a local soccer team called the "Dangerous Darkies" that played in the early 1990's with some success.
Getting to Nelspruit
There's a busy little airport called the Nelspruit/Kruger Mpumalanga International Airport catering to tourists visiting Kruger and nearby private reserves. Check SA Airlink for flights.
You can easily rent a car and drive to Nelspruit. By car it will take about 3.5 hours from Johannesburg, 7 hours from Durban, and 3.5 hours from Pretoria. Or catch a bus to Nelspruit, usually they're en route to Maputo, Mozambique's capital. Check out the Greyhound bus schedule for fares and information.
Where to Stay and Eat in Nelspruit
There are about a dozen small hotels and guest houses in Nelspruit, listed here. For more budget options, check this list. But if you're going to be this close to one of the best wildlife reserves in Africa, it would be silly not to spend a few nights in or around Kruger National Park. Click here for more accommodation information.
There are several restaurants in Nelspruit offering Italian, South African and Portuguese cuisines. Check out a decent list here.
Getting Around
The stadium is 8 km from town, taxis and buses will be in place to make the trip out there.
