GERMANS TO DESIGN S A STADIUMS!

The 2010 World Cup will be the first on African soil. A German firm of architects say they have been awarded contracts to design three of the stadiums for the 2010 World Cup in South Africa. The Berlin firm Gerkan Marg and Partner said they will design the stadiums in Cape Town, Durban and Port Elizabeth. The ground in Durban will be the biggest of the three with 85,000 seats. "We plan to work with local architects on all three stadiums," the director of the company, Volkwin Marg said on Monday.

The company was responsible for the renovation of Berlin's Olympic Stadium, where the final of the 2006 World Cup was played on 9 July. In 2010, the championship will be played in 10 stadiums in nine South African cities. It will be the first time the tournament will be held in Africa. The final will be played in the Soccer City stadium outside Johannesburg.

BBC NEWS REPORT.