Training At Loftus Versfeld

The team got their first look at the venue that will host Monday's match against Italy, and the setting was quite impressive. The pitch is pretty slick when wet, which always gets the players juiced up because the ball gets moving quickly. The 45-minute session was open for the first 15 minutes for cameras, then the group worked on shape and re-starts. Loftus has a capacity of around 45,000, and with about 30,000 expected there should be a good energy inside the stadium. Each game has a different vibe to it, and with little things like extra cameras, loads of security, tournament signage, and the ever-demanding process of keeping preying eyes away from training, it had the feel of a big-time event about to happen.

The site on which Loftus Versfeld is located was first used for sport in 1903. It was named after Mr Robert Owen Loftus Versfeld, who is attributed with establishing organized sport in Pretoria. It has been used for numerous sports events including the 1995 Rugby World Cup and 1996 CAF Africa Cup of Nations. It is now used by Mamelodi Sundowns as their home ground.