Saturday 23 January 2010

Photography by Mark Wessels

For the love of Cape Town is alive and kicking as the first official inaugural event for 2010 leading up to the FIFA World Cup kicked off at the brand new Cape Town Stadium yesterday on a perfect, balmy, summers day on Saturday 23rd January 2010 in Green Point, Cape Town, Western Cape, South Africa. The first game played in the World Cup Stadium began with a friendly match between local clubs Ajax Cape Town and Santos. 20 000 Jubilant fans drew together and celebrated the moment as history was made with the very first sporting clash in the brand new Cape Town Stadium. Dressed in all forms of soccer regalia they enjoyed themselves, blowing vuvuzela’s excitedly as they filled the stadium with the sound of soccer. Like it? Get your ticket for ‘the best way to see Cape Town’ www.citysightseeing.co.za/winchester-mansions-hotels-things-to-do-and-see

Flying flags fluttered and the colourful crowd cheered as they rose in waves with hands held high to the beat of the game and the ball passed between the two teams on the field hoping to thrill their fans with the first goal scored. They fought toughly throughout the match which ended in a penalty shoot-out that finally saw Santos win with a score of 6 goals against that of Ajax who only managed to score 5. This event and others was a test run to check that everything works according to plan including traffic, parking, security, technology and operations systems for the stadium ahead of the World Cup. The next event will see the stadium holding 40 000 people and thereafter a third test event filling the 68 000-seater stadium almost to capacity with 60 000 people in it. All these events will help prepare the venue for the forthcoming World Cup in June 2010. Capetonians welcomed the splendour the Stadium brought to the city as they shared this once in a lifetime experience. As one rainbow nation they embraced the magic of soccer and all the good that the 2010 FIFA World Cup hopes to bring to South Africa. For the love of soccer is alive and kicking in the form of what is called ‘THE BEAUTIFUL GAME’! Standing in the Cape Town Stadium with the backdrop of Table Mountain rising in the clear blue sky outside, listening to the glorious sound emanating from inside, it couldn’t get more beautiful than this. I was there. Now that’s ‘AYOBA’!!!

Some interesting facts…

What is ‘AYOBA’? (Sourced from WikiAnswers ).

It’s an evolution of expressions like ‘ayeye’ / ‘ayoyoyo’ and was first used to express approval/appreciation of good dancing. As with most slang words, no one knows its exact origins, but it’s presumed to have started in Joburg township culture. It means delight, excitement, agreement, approval or can be used as a greeting for hello or goodbye. It is uniquely South African. A sort of home brew. It means “for sure” or “for real”. It is ownable. It is phashasha. It’s the NEW “hola seven”. It is positive, proactive and it drives a call to action. It’s an icon. The ‘Ayoba’ icon has been designed to unite visuals of the South African flag and the official colours of FIFA. It is uniquely South African and thus works perfectly for the FIFA 2010 World Cup. Generic usage and applications of the word ‘Ayoba’ extends to:

“Ayoba-ness” – when something/someone has ‘Ayoba’.
“Ayoba yo!” – expressing extreme excitement.
“Ayoba 2010!” – FIFA focused messaging.
“Ayoba Summer!” – in a brand context.
“Ayoba boss!” – a greeting.

About the Cape Town Stadium!

(Sourced from the official Commemorative Match Programme for The Soccer Festival at Cape Town Stadium).

FACT FILE

The Cape Town Stadium has a graceful, clean and sweeping silhouette. The translucent fabric mesh around the stadium exterior softens the structural elements and when lit up at night, the satdium bowl will appear to float on its base. For the 2010 World Cup, the stadium will have 68 000 seats, but 13 000 will be removed after the event.

THE ROOF AND OUTER FAÇADE

The construction of a very high-tech roof, provides protection from the weather and reduces noise coming out of the stadium. This ‘double membrane’ roof is curved to give the stadium a smooth, flowing look from every angle, and it makes full use of natural light. The area above the pitch is open, but spectators are under cover. Weighing 4500 tons, the roof is made up of 9000 laminated glass panels that allow in the natural light but also contain the noise.

NEW SPORT AND RECREATION PROJECT

The stadium site occupies 18 hectares of the 80 hectare Green Point common, which is being upgraded and reconfigured to meet high environmental standards and to provide extensive recreational and sporting facilities. It includes a vastly improved 9 hole golf course, sports fields and a new 12.5 hectare urban park. Water ponds for irrigation will be fed by water from the stadium roof and from a spring in Oranjezicht, thus reducing dependance on potable water.

QUICK FACTS

The stadium has:
12 lifts.
530 toilets.
4 TV studios.
68 VIP suites.
Space for 120 wheelchairs.
88 turnstiles, 3 main gates.
19 kiosks situated on level 2.
178 media seats, 24 media desks.
Medical centre and police station.
360 floodlights for the field on play.
4 change rooms – total area = 396 square metres.
Restaurant area situated on level 3 = 965 square metres.
Basement parking for 1170 vehicles situated on level 00 and level 01.
VIP Business club lounge area situated on level 5 = 1475 square metres.
VIP Business outside balcony area situated on level 5 = 730 square metres.

SOME IMPRESSIVE FIGURES

Measurements and quantities:
Pitch area = 13 535 square metres.
Roof area = Nearly 40 000 square metres.
Inner roof membrane area = 31 000 square metres.
Construction start date was officially on 26th March 2007.

SuperKwazi is Mark Wessels – photographer/photojournalist at www.markwesselsphoto.com. His diversity and style allows him to shoot work for a wide range of clientele including organizations, newspapers covering various topics and issues nationally and internationally his pictures have been used globally in all forms of media. shoot work for a wide range of clientele including organizations, newspapers and agencies like Reuters and Associated Press. Covering various topics and issues nationally and internationally his pictures have been used globally in all forms of media.

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