Zayed Sports City Stadium
| ZSC Stadium, Sheikh Zayed Stadium | |
 | |
|
Zayed Sports City Stadium | |
| Full name | Zayed Sports City Stadium |
|---|---|
| Location |
Abu Dhabi United Arab Emirates |
| Coordinates | 24°24′57.92″N 54°27′12.93″E / 24.4160889°N 54.4535917°ECoordinates: 24°24′57.92″N 54°27′12.93″E / 24.4160889°N 54.4535917°E |
| Owner | Mubadala Development Company |
| Operator | Abu Dhabi Entertainment Company |
| Executive suites | 106 |
| Capacity |
43,620 60,000 (1980–2009) 63,578 (2019 AFC Asian Cup) |
| Surface | Grass |
| Construction | |
| Broke ground | 7 March 1979 |
| Opened | 5 January 1980 |
| Renovated | 2009 |
| Construction cost | AED 550 million |
| Architect | Henri Colboc, Pierre Dalidet, George Philippe |
| Tenants | |
|
UAE national football team (1980–present) 1996 AFC Asian Cup 2003 FIFA World Youth Championship 2007 Gulf Cup of Nations 2009 FIFA Club World Cup 2010 FIFA Club World Cup 2019 AFC Asian Cup UAE President's Cup Finals | |
| Website | |
| www.zsc.ae | |
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Zayed Sports City Stadium (Arabic: ستاد مدينة زايد الرياضية), also known as ZSC Stadium or Sheikh Zayed Stadium is a multi-purpose stadium located in Zayed Sports City, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.[1] The venue is the home stadium of United Arab Emirates national football team and is the second biggest stadium in the country after Dubai's The Sevens Stadium.
It is currently used mostly for football matches but can also stage cricket athletics, large events, rugby and other grass sports. It is named after the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, the founder and first president of the UAE.
The stadium hosted 1996 AFC Asian Cup matches including final game, where United Arab Emirates lost the match to Saudi Arabia in penalty shout-outs. The stadium also hosted 2007 Gulf Cup of Nations final, this time between United Arab Emirates and Oman which UAE won 1–0. The final match of 2009 and 2010 FIFA Club World Cup were also held at the stadium. The stadium will be hosted the some matches of the 2019 AFC Asian Cup including final along five other stadiums.
Location and design
Located in the heart of Abu Dhabi, Zayed Sports City Stadium has cemented its place in the country's history by being featured on the AED 200 banknote.[2]
History
The construction of the stadium was started in 1979 and was completed after less than one year. It was originally was designed to hold 60,000 people. In 2009, Populous renovated the stadium to become FIFA compliant and reduced the capacity to 43,000 people. It has hosted many international and regional events such as the FIFA Club World Cups in 2009 and 2010 and the Gulf Cup of Nations tournament in 1982, 1994 and in 2007. It was also a venue for the AFC Asian Cup final in 1996 between the host UAE, and Saudi Arabia when the latter won the championship from the penalty spot. A major event held in this stadium was the opening and final match of the FIFA World Youth Championship in 2003. Every year, the UAE President's Cup final is played here.
The stadium was also the venue for the game between Manchester City and the UAE national team on 12 November 2009. The final score was 1–0 to the UAE. The stadium hosted the 2009 and 2010 FIFA Club World Cups with Al Jazira Mohammed Bin Zayed Stadium. It hosted 5 of the 8 matches of the tournament including the finals.
Matches
1996 AFC Asian Cup
The stadium was one of the venues for the 1996 AFC Asian Cup. The stadium hosted the opening match, Group A matches, two quarter-finals matches, semi-final matches, third place play-off match and also final.
The following games were played at the stadium during the AFC Asian Cup of 1996:
| Date | Time (UTC+4) | Team #1 | Res. | Team #2 | Round | Spectators |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 December 1996 | 16:45 |  United Arab Emirates | 1–1 |  South Korea | Group A (opening match) | 35,000 |
| 4 December 1996 | 18:45 |  Indonesia | 2–2 |  Kuwait | Group A | 15,000 |
| 7 December 1996 | 16:45 | United Arab Emirates | 3–2 | Kuwait | Group A | 15,000 |
| 7 December 1996 | 19:00 | South Korea | 4–2 | Indonesia | Group A | 2,000 |
| 10 December 1996 | 16:45 | United Arab Emirates | 2–0 | Indonesia | Group A | 10,000 |
| 10 December 1996 | 19:00 | Kuwait | 2–0 | South Korea | Group A | 3,000 |
| 15 December 1996 | 16:45 | United Arab Emirates | 1–0 (a.e.t) | .svg.png){kind=small} Iraq | Quarter-finals | 50,000 |
| 16 December 1996 | 19:30 |  Saudi Arabia | 4–3 |  China PR | Quarter-finals | 5,000 |
| 19 December 1996 | 16:45 | United Arab Emirates | 1–0 | Kuwait | Semi-finals | 55,000 |
| 19 December 1996 | 19:30 |  Iran | 0–0 (3–4 pen.) | Saudi Arabia | Semi-finals | 35,000 |
| 21 December 1996 | 16:45 | Iran | 1–1 (3–2 pen.) | Kuwait | Third place play-off | 60,000 |
| 21 December 1996 | 19:35 | United Arab Emirates | 0–0 (2–4 pen.) | Saudi Arabia | Final | 60,000 |
See also
References
External links
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to Zayed Sports City Stadium. |
| Events and tenants | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Hiroshima Big Arch Hiroshima |
AFC Asian Cup Final Venue 1996 |
Succeeded by Camille Chamoun Sports City Stadium Beirut |
| Preceded by Khalifa International Stadium Doha |
Gulf Cup of Nations Final Venue 2007 |
Succeeded by Sultan Qaboos Sports Complex Muscat |
| Preceded by International Stadium Yokohama Yokohama |
FIFA Club World Cup Final Venue 2009, 2010 |
Succeeded by International Stadium Yokohama Yokohama |
| Preceded by Stadium Australia Sydney |
AFC Asian Cup Final Venue 2019 |
Succeeded by TBD |