Rand Stadium
| Location | Rosettenville, Johannesburg, South Africa |
|---|---|
| Coordinates | 26°14′05″S 28°03′06″E / 26.2346°S 28.0516°E |
| Owner | City of Johannesburg |
| Operator | Stadium Management SA (SMSA) |
| Capacity | 30,000[1] |
| Surface | Grass |
| Construction | |
| Opened | 1951 |
| Renovated | 1965, 2009 |
| Construction cost | R76 million (2009 refurbishment)[2] |
| Tenants | |
| [Orlando Pirates F.C.] | |
The Rand Stadium is a stadium in Rosettenville, a suburb of Johannesburg, South Africa. It is set to be utilized as a training field for teams participating in the 2010 FIFA World Cup after being completely rebuilt and reopened in August 2008.
Rand Stadium was constructed between 1949 and 1951 at a cost of £60,000 with a capacity of 15,000.[3] Over time extensive renovations have been carried out, the first between 1964 and 1965 in which facilities were added and the second in 1976 that saw the installation of floodlighting. The stadium was adjudged to need serious improvements and it was decide that it would be demolished in 2006. The new Rand Stadium, managed by Stadium Management South Africa (SMSA), was rebuilt as an all-seater stadium and would retain its old scoreboard for heritage purposes.[4]
There has been a number of cup finals at the venue, including the Kaizer Chiefs versus Hellenic Champion of Champions final in 1975 and the Wits University (now Bidvest Wits) winning the 1978 Mainstay Cup final against Kaizer Chiefs in the old National Professional Soccer League (NPSL), which was preceded by the National Soccer League (NSL).
After it was temporarily closed down for renovations and revamped, Rand Stadium hosted the 2009 Nedbank Cup final between Moroka Swallows and the University of Pretoria.
Bafana Bafana (the South African men’s national football team) played their international fixture against Mauritius there in April 1993 which finished in a goalless draw, and is widely regarded as one of the best playing surfaces in the country. The ground hosted the second ever Bafana match when they hosted Angola in the 2016 African Nations Championship qualifier in October 2015.
Rand Stadium has played host to some of South Africa’s top football teams, including yesteryear local giants Highlands Park and Germiston Callies, while top class international football teams like Arsenal (England), Ajax Amsterdam (Netherlands) have also graced the turf. The venue has also staged some international boxing spectacles.
The venue's previous anchor football tenants include Lusitano, Highlands Park, Kaizer Chiefs, Moroka Swallows and Jomo Cosmos.
The original capacity at Rand Stadium was 15,000 but a 2009 revamp in preparation for the 2010 FIFA World Cup™ saw that capacity being extended to accommodate a maximum of 30 000 fans. The refurbishment includes a roof that covers up to 3,000 fans.
Rand Stadium has also hosted a number of high-profile boxing events, including the Arnold Taylor versus Romeo Anaya fight in 1993 as well as the Johnny du Plooy and Mike Weaver bout in 1987.
Even though Rand Stadium has a new-look with an all-seater stadium, the old scoreboard has been retained for heritage.