South Africa World Cup 2010

With anticipation mounting ahead of the 2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa, and the first phase of ticket sales already gone, we bring you the low-down on match destinations, getting hold of those precious tickets and exploring the country's top sights to keep you ahead of the game.

Host cities:

Cape Town
With its stunning location, tucked into the arms of a broad bay, surrounded by wild, white-sand beaches and set against the canvas of Table Mountain, Cape Town is one of the most beautiful cities in the world. Green Point Stadium has been purpose built for the World Cup, and is a mere stone's throw from the centre of Cape Town.

Johannesburg
The city has progressed far beyond the status of a mere gold rush settlement, and has grown quickly into a vibrant, pulsating hub that is now the economic powerhouse of sub-Saharan Africa and the largest urban space in South Africa. Located in the centre of Johannesburg, Ellis Park stadium has hosted many epic sporting events and has a seating capacity of 62,000. The second World Cup venue in the city is Soccer City stadium, which is regarded as the heart of football in South Africa. It will host the first and final matches of the World Cup and has a seating capacity of 80,000.

Durban
Durban's sweeping golden beaches entirely justify the city's status as one of Africa's major resorts. Here, the Moses Mabhida Stadium will host one of the World Cup semi-finals and has been designed with the South African flag as inspiration. Seating 70,000, the venue has a cable car to a viewing platform for stunning views over the pitch and Durban skyline.

Port Elizabeth
Port Elizabeth is surrounded by pristine beaches as well as some beautiful architecture dating back to the 19th century, such as the Opera House. The city is a great base for exploring the Eastern Cape and the sunshine coast. Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium will be built for the 2010 FIFA World Cup on the North End Lake, and will host the third and fourth place play-off.

Nelspruit
Nelspruit is the a great base for exploring some of the country's stunning game reserves, such as the famous Kruger National Park. Head to the village of Botshabelo to visit the preserved culture of the Ndebele people. The Mbombela Stadium in Nelspruit is being built for the World Cup and will hold 46,000 people. The stadium is 12km (7.4 miles) from Kruger-Mpumalanga Airport, and is also close to various game parks.

Bloemfontein
Bloemfontein is the capital of the Free State Province and is situated in central South Africa. It is home to some of the country's most enthusiastic football fans and the Free State Stadium is currently having a second tier added to raise capacity to 45,000. The compact city is centered on the Waterfront and Mimosa malls, where most of the restaurants and bars can be found.

Polokwane
Vibrant and colourful, Polokwane is situated at the heart of the Limpopo Province and is an area of scenic mountains, seas of grassland and fascinating culture. Polokwane will be building the Peter Mokaba Stadium ready for the World Cup which will seat 45,000 people. The stadium is named after Peter Mokaba, a political activist during apartheid, who was renowned for his fighting spirit.

Rustenberg
At the heart of the savannah bushland, Rustenberg is a city in the North West Province at the foothills of the stunning Magaliesburg Mountains. Royal Bakokeng Stadium in Rustenberg is a 25 minute drive to the premium holiday resort of Sun City and 30 minutes to the Pilansberg. It is 12kms (7.4 miles) from the Rustenburg city centre.

Pretoria
The administrative capital of South Africa is steeped in heritage and has a great collection of museums, monuments and arts and crafts markets, as well as two nature reserves. Loftus Versfeld stadium is situated in the heart of Pretoria and has a seating capacity of 46,000 people.

Tickets:

Although the first sales phase of tickets has passed, don't panic. Many more tickets are being released in phases during these periods:
Second sales phase: 4 May 2009 - 16 November 2009
Third sales phase: 5 December 2009 - 22 January 2010
Fourth sales phase: 9 February 2010 - 7 April 2010
Last sales phase: 15 April 2010 - 11 July 2010

To buy your World Cup 2010 tickets visit www.fifa.com