Grass Troubles Plague Nelspruit Stadium

Two failed attempts to grow the field grass at Nelspruit's Mbombela Stadium have organizers and locals worried that the stadium won't be ready to host its World Cup matches.

They now face a race against time to get the stadium ready for the first game between Honduras and Chile on June 16, followed by Italy against New Zealand on June 20. There is local speculation that another pitch failure could force Fifa to switch the fixtures to a different venue.

Conflicting official explanations of what has gone wrong served only to sow confusion on a tour of nine cities. Ronnie Moyo, a 2010 marketing and events manager who gave a guided tour of the Mbombela Stadium, said the original pitch was removed in December after failing a Fifa inspection because "25% of the pitch had clay soil".

Will the pitch Mbomb?
Mail and Guardian
March 5, 2010

Grass Failures Add to Concerns Over Nelspruit Stadium Readiness

Confusion over the failed grass planting at the Mbombela Stadium in Nelspruit underscores uneasiness about the city's and the country's ability to host the World Cup.

When World Cup officials on a tour of South Africa's showpiece venues arrived at the ground today, they were confronted with a brown sandpit colonised by dozens of birds. They now face a race against time to get the stadium ready for the first game between Honduras and Chile on 16 June, followed by Italy against New Zealand on 20 June. There is local speculation that another pitch failure could force Fifa to switch the fixtures to a different venue.

Conflicting official explanations of what has gone wrong served only to sow confusion on a tour of nine cities.

World Cup organiser in race against time to get Mbombela Stadium ready
Guardian
February 28, 2010