Pretoria-Dutch fans are painting Tshwane orange ahead of their national team's World Cup final match against Spain at Soccer City tonight.

Dressed in orange, the Dutch fans assembled at Pretoria's Church Square before they took their "oranje" parade along Paul Kruger Street to Pretoria train station, where they will get on a train to the soccer match.

The City of Tshwane also urged local soccer fanatics to join the campers in their Oranje parade.

An estimated 400 Dutch fans made a special trip to South Africa and stayed overnight in Tshwane before taking the official orange parade. They will go to Soccer City by train from Nasrec station.

Fans without match tickets will be transported to the Tshwane Fan Fest for another Oranje gathering.
The oranje parade organisers chartered planes from Amsterdam which arrived at OR Tambo International Airport on Saturday evening and 4:00 on Sunday morning respectively.

Tshwane spokesperson, Console Tleane said: "It has been a massive logistical operation from both the City of Tshwane and De Oranjecamping organisers.

"Fans had flown back to the Netherlands after their camping trip around the country during June and were honestly not expecting a final. The match tickets, planes, buses, train and accommodation for the 400 enthusiasts have been pulled together in a little over 48 hours," said.

He said the City will have buses at Pretoria Station to transport the remaining fans without match tickets to the Tshwane Fan Fest at the Centurion Cricket Grounds.

Tleane said the buses will return from the Fan Fest to Church Square at midnight for those who have left their vehicles in town.

The Oranjecamping is believed to be the world's largest football fan camp and in the past month has seen a convoy of 175 vehicles travelling across the entire African continent. The camp was based at Fountains Valley in Tshwane during the first week of the tournament.

"We are pleased and honoured that The Oranjecamping chose to make Tshwane final stay in South Africa. It is fitting that they close camp in Tshwane before they kick-off their chance at making history of winning the World Cup for the first time," he said.

Source: BuaNews   

Pretoria- The City of Tshwane's free park and ride facilities are ready for this evening's Bafana Bafana match, said the city on Wednesday.

Bafana Bafana takes on Uruguay at 20h30 at the Loftus Versfeld stadium.

"The City's park-and-ride plans haven't changed with the free park-and-ride, park-and-walk system still applying," said City spokesman Console Tleane.

The three park and ride facilities that will be made available to the public is the LC de Villiers Sports Grounds at the University of Pretoria, Unisa and Rugby Sports Union Grounds on the corner of Totius and Welheminah streets.

Fans coming from Johannesburg, Midrand, Ekurhuleni, North West as well as those coming from west of the City (Atteridgeville, Mabopane, Soshanguve, and Rustenburg) are encouraged to make use of the Unisa park and ride facility.

Those from the eastern suburbs of the city are encouraged to use the Rugby Union Sports Grounds. People coming from the north (Hammanskraal and Limpopo) and east (including Mpumalanga) are encouraged to use the LC De Villiers Sports Grounds.

The City of Tshwane will be providing buses to shuttle people to the stadium. All park-and-rides as well as the bus shuttle will be free of charge to match ticket holders.

A park-and-walk facility will be based at the Pretoria Technical High School sport fields on Wessel Street. People with disabilities will be able to utilise Pretoria High School for Girls next to Loftus on Park Street.

The park-and-rides will be manned by the Tshwane Metro Police and Fire Brigade Services while the Metro Police will also guide the fans into the park-and-rides.

Metrorail will provide a park-and-ride by train facility which will operate from the Pretoria Station. Fans will be able to park their vehicles at Salvokop just behind the station and catch a train from Pretoria Station to the Loftus Versfeld precinct.

"In general the City is ready for this big match. We encourage people to start arriving early for the match," said Tleane adding that the park-and-rides will open at 4pm.

Source: BuaNews