World Cup 2010 - are you ready?

Q: All the excitement around the Beijing Olympics has made me realise that we need to start making some travel plans for the 2010 World Cup, as many relatives and friends say they will come out for the event. Do you have the exact dates for the World Cup in South Africa, and the cities where the games will be played? Also, can you give details of ticket prices and when they will be available? - Andre Oosthuizen

A: The 2010 FIFA World Cup will take place between 11 June and 11 July 2010. Final details of teams and matches will be revealed during the final draw, which is scheduled to take place in Cape Town in December 2009. Nine cities have been earmarked to host World Cup games. These are Johannesburg, Durban, Cape Town, Pretoria, Port Elizabeth, Bloemfontein, Polokwane, Nelspruit and Rustenburg. There will be two stadiums in Johannesburg; the Ellis Park Stadium and the new Soccer City. The semi-finals will be held in Cape Town on 6 July and Durban on 7 July. The game to determine third place will be held in Port Elizabeth on 10 July, while the final takes place at Soccer City the next day. The average ticket cost will be 139 US dollars, but the prices range from only 20 US dollars for a group stage match to 900 US dollars for a ticket to the final. Some tickets will be available exclusively to South Africans at reduced prices, with tickets to the final from only 150 US dollars and payable in SA currency. The first tickets go on sale in February next year. For further information, you can check out the www.fifa.com website.