Bafana venue switch furore
THE Polokwane municipality has expressed shock at the sudden change of heart by Safa in deciding to take Bafana Bafana’s final 2012 Afcon qualifier against Sierra Leone to Mbombela Stadium in Nelspruit. (Photo: NO PAY, NO PLAY: Safa president Kirsten Nematandani)
This follows an agreement between the two institutions for Bafana to play the qualifier at the Peter Mokaba Stadium in October.
Safa moved the game to Nelspruit, allegedly without notifying the Polokwane municipality about the change of venue.
“This is appalling,” said Polokwane mayor Freddy Greaver. “We hosted them (Safa) when Banyana Banyana played against Botswana recently and we had put money into that arrangement. We were prepared to pay them for this game as we always understood that we must pay them.”
According to Greaver, South African Football Association had mentioned that it was not paid by the Limpopo government for a match Bafana Bafana played previously at the Peter Mokaba Stadium.
“(Safa) Kirsten Nematandani approached me and requested that I assist them to secure that money and I personally spoke to premier Cassel Mathale about it. And now this. We are all disappointed because I know that our people would have come in big numbers to support Bafana Bafana as usual ,” he said angrily.
Greaver said the least Safa could have done was to share its reasons for the decision.
Nematandani said: “It’s not fair for the mayor to come to you before discussing the matter with me. I will speak to the mayor to see how we can resolve the matter.”
– The Polokwane municipality is working around the clock to bid for the 2011 MTN8 final to be staged at Peter Mokaba Stadium. Sowetan has learnt that the municipality has already started engaging the PSL on the matter.
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