Moses Mabhida Stadium, Durban

Another coastal venue, on the tropical Indian Ocean, Durban is the country's second most populous city and Africa's busiest port.

Durban is gateway to KwaZulu-Natal, home of South Africa's biggest ethnic group, which includes President Jacob Zuma. Many sites of battles between the Zulus, British and Boers are in the province.

The city centre boasts a "golden mile" of beaches, promenades, hotels and restaurants which has been given a major facelift for the World Cup. Durban, one of the few venues likely to be warm, hopes success as a World Cup host will promote the city's ambition to stage Africa's first Olympics in the future.

Moses Mabhida is the most spectacular new World Cup stadium with gleaming white concrete sails and a 100-metre arch soaring above the roof.

A "sky train" and two vertiginous walkways reach the top for a view of the Indian Ocean.

The arches are in the Y-shape of South Africa's flag symbolising the unity of a once-divided nation.

Capacity: 70,000. Seven matches, including a semi-final, to be played here.