Durban's ambitions exceed World Cup

DURBAN, South Africa: Durban's stadium will be one of the most dazzling in the 2010 World Cup but the brash port's ambition soars even higher, like the spectacular arch spanning the arena with a view across the Indian Ocean.

Intensely competitive with the more famous tourist mecca of Cape Town along the coast, Durban is pulling out all stops to ensure nobody forgets it when the soccer World Cup is over.

Grimier but also more African than sophisticated, Europeanized Cape Town, Durban - which will host seven matches including a semifinal - markets itself on its miles of sandy beaches and the year-round warm weather that makes it a winter playground for South Africans.