Mmabatho: a strange and forgotten stadium in South Africa (8 photos + 2 videos)

Mmabatho Stadium in South Africa has been called one of the most strange in the world due to the unusual location of the stands. It was built Israeli engineers and architects in 1981.





Mmabatho Stadium is located in the South African city of Mafikeng, near the border with Botswana. It is the fifth largest stadium in country, and it accommodates 59 thousand spectators. It was built in 1981 apartheid era, commissioned by the government of then-leader Lucas Mangope. The stadium was designed by Israeli architect Israel Gudovich and engineer Ben Abraham, and still has a bad reputation. Engineers came up with a concept that contradicted almost everyone basic principles of stadium design, but despite this, the construction was in full swing. Today, the stadium is considered an example of the most "impractical architectural design".



Most questions are raised by the raised stands, which turned not to the field, but to other stands. For a normal view viewers have to look away. Similar disturbances began immediately after the opening of the stadium. In addition, the stadium is uncomfortable stairs are located. For a number of reasons, it is currently used rare, only for charity football matches or matches between South African clubs





Since opening, it has been the home stadium of the local Mmabatho team. Kicks, but after a few years their matches moved to other sites. Even during the 2010 FIFA World Cup, Mmabatho did not used neither for official nor as a training field.