Acornbush set to bow down to pressure to change venue for Chiefs showdown

29 March 2017 - 14:07 By Mahlatse Mphahlele
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A general view of the Kabokweni Stadium before the Nedbank Cup Last 32 game between Acornbush United and Premier Soccer League side Cape Town City FC on 12 March 2017. Pressure is mounting on the ABC Motsepe Mpumalanga province championship winners Acornbush to move their Nedbank Cup Last 16 clash against topflight drawcards Kaizer Chiefs from the 10 000-seater stadium to a bigger venue.
A general view of the Kabokweni Stadium before the Nedbank Cup Last 32 game between Acornbush United and Premier Soccer League side Cape Town City FC on 12 March 2017. Pressure is mounting on the ABC Motsepe Mpumalanga province championship winners Acornbush to move their Nedbank Cup Last 16 clash against topflight drawcards Kaizer Chiefs from the 10 000-seater stadium to a bigger venue.
Image: King Denny EX via Facebook

Pressure is mounting on lower tier side Acornbush United to move their Nedbank Cup Last 16 clash against topflight drawcards Kaizer Chiefs from the 10 000-seater Kabokweni Stadium to a bigger venue.

The ABC Motsepe League side's officials are resigned to the possibility of forfeiting their home ground advantage as questions continue to be asked about whether the Mpumalanga stadium can meet the safety and security measures that are required for a glamour match against the most popular club in the country.

There is a strong possibility that the game‚ scheduled to be played on Sunday April 9‚ could be moved to the bigger Mbombela Stadium‚ which can accommodate over 40 000 spectators.

The game has sparked massive interest in an area that is starved of professional football and the other bigger stadiums in the province like Thulamashe in Bushbuckridge and Kanyamazane outside Nelspruit will be watching developments with keen interest.

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Asked on Wednesday morning to provide clarity on the venue for the match‚ Acornbush chief executive Michael Sias admitted that there is a very strong possibility that Kabokweni Stadium could lose its hosting rights.

“At the moment the venue for the match is Kabokweni Stadium as it has been confirmed by the league after consultation with us‚" he said.

"But that may change in the coming days because we have noted the outcry from local people who are saying our stadium is too small to accommodate such a match.

"We are currently engaging all the relevant stakeholders such as government‚ football lovers and the private sector in the area to see what would be the best way forward.”

Sias added that should the match go ahead as planned at Kabokweni Stadium‚ they will do whatever is necessary from a security perspective to ensure the safety and security of the spectators and the players.

  • Mathoho urges Chiefs colleagues to keep their eye on the prizeKaizer Chiefs have to regain their focus in the Absa Premiership‚ which is wide open and only heating up now‚ said their centreback stalwart Mulomowandau Mathoho. 

“In our last high-profile fixture against Cape Town City‚ SAPS provided enough policemen and women to add to other law enforcement officials like traffic management and private security.

"This ensured the smooth running of the event.

"If the match stays at Kabokweni‚ I have confidence that we will provide adequate security to ensure the safety of people who will be coming to the stadium to enjoy a game of football‚” he said.

Against Cape Town City at Kabokweni two weeks ago‚ Sias said they sold 3500 tickets and the atmosphere was great.

They are planning to sell just 7000 for the match against Chiefs for security reasons.

- TMG Digital/TMG Sport

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