Moruleng Stadium
{{short description|Sports stadium in Moruleng, South Africa}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=November 2020}}
{{Infobox venue
| stadium_name = Moruleng Stadium
| image =
| location = Moruleng, Section, Moruleng, 0313, South Africa{{cite web|url=https://www.fifa.com/confederationscup/news/newsid=1070391.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090615105951/http://www.fifa.com/confederationscup/news/newsid=1070391.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=15 June 2009|title=FIFA.com - Open sessions to get party started|work=FIFA|access-date=7 June 2010}}
| coordinates = {{Coord|25|09|24|S|27|10|32|E}}
| broke_ground =
| opened = 2009
| renovated =
| closed =
| demolished =
| owner = Bakgatla
| operator = Bakgatla
| construction_cost = R174 million{{cite news|url=http://allafrica.com/stories/200909291207.html|title=Botswana: Moruleng Stadium Opens for Business|publisher=AllAfrica|author=Monkagedi Gaotlhobogwe|date=29 September 2009|agency=Mmegi|access-date=17 March 2023 |location=Moruleng}}
| architect = Paton Taylor Architects{{cite web|url=http://saisc.co.za/2010/downloads/publications/issues/vol_33_september/Mag%20Sept09%20p25-32%20AwardsSportsStadiaCategory.pdf|title=Award Nominations|publisher=Southern African Institute of Steel Construction|page=6|access-date=7 June 2010}}{{Dead link|date=April 2020 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}
| structural engineer = Arup
| former_names =
| tenants = Platinum Stars
| seating_capacity = 20,000
}}
Moruleng Stadium is a multi-purpose stadium in the village of Moruleng, a small mining community located approximately {{convert|60|km|mi}} from Rustenburg in the North West Province, South Africa. It is currently used mostly for football matches and serves as the home stadium of Platinum Stars. The stadium was part of Rustenburg's World Cup 2010 host city proposals and was also used as a training venue for the 2009 FIFA Confederations Cup.
Construction
The stadium was constructed by South African companies Stefanutti Stocks and Omnistruct Nkosi with help from structural engineers Arup of Durban. The stadium was designed by the Durban-based architectural firm Paton Taylor Architects to comply with FIFA stadium regulations, in order for it to be utilised for the 2009 FIFA Confederations Cup as a training venue. The quantity surveyors on this project were BTKM - Bham Tayob Khan Matunda.
The stadium was built by the Bakgatla-Ba-Kgafela tribe, which is scattered across 32 villages in the North West province. The tribe's main source of wealth comes from mining platinum.
Use
The stadium was opened in September 2009 and the first match that took place at the stadium was contested between Mochudi Centre Chiefs of Botswana and Platinum Stars F.C. of South Africa.{{cite web|url=http://www.mmegi.bw/index.php?sid=8&aid=23&dir=2009/September/Tuesday29|title=Moruleng Stadium opens for business|date=29 September 2009|publisher=Mmegi Online|accessdate=7 June 2010}}
The first Premier Soccer League game that took place at the stadium was between Platinum Stars, who use the stadium as a home venue, and Ajax Cape Town.{{cite web|url=http://www.bbkta.co.za/press_releases.php?id=8|title=Bakgatla-Ba-Kgafela|type=Press Releases|date=29 October 2009|publisher=Bakgatla-Ba-Kgafela|accessdate=7 June 2010|archive-url=https://archive.today/20100306045057/http://www.bbkta.co.za/press_releases.php?id=8|archive-date=6 March 2010|url-status=dead}}
It was used by the New Zealand national football team as a training venue during the 2009 FIFA Confederations Cup.
The England national football team played Platinum Stars as a warm-up game before the 2010 FIFA World Cup on 7 June, with England running out 3–0 victors.{{cite news |last1=Winter |first1=Henry |title=World Cup 2010: Platinum Stars 0 England 3 match report |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/teams/england/7809221/World-Cup-2010-Platinum-Stars-0-England-3-match-report.html |accessdate=14 November 2020 |work=The Telegraph |date=8 June 2010}}