Stadium dropped from Confederations Cup schedule

The 2010 FIFA World Cup Organising Committee (OC) South Africa earlier this week announced it has removed Nelson Mandela Bay/Port Elizabeth from the FIFA Confederations Cup 2009 schedule, after receiving a report from the OC technical team. “We acknowledge the progress that has been made on the Nelson Mandela Bay/Port Elizabeth stadium in recent months. With the complex nature of the construction and erection of the roof of the stadium, however, it was decided that it would be too high a risk to keep the stadium in the FIFA Confederations Cup schedule. But the stadium has been one of the star performers of the FIFA World Cup construction process and again, we reiterate that the stadium will be a wonderful venue in 2010,” said OC chairman Dr Irvin Khoza.