I really don’t know why the Premier Soccer League doesn’t just set up shop in Durban and officially name it the pro-soccer capital of the country already.
The PSL has three cup tournaments and Durban will host two of the deciders in those tournaments this season.
They already hosted the MTN8 final and will now also welcome this season’s Nedbank Cup finalists Kaizer Chiefs and Chippa United to the province in May.
Chairman of the PSL Irvin Khoza made the announcement last week and it was met with some real disappointment by fans.
The sad bit was Khoza’s claim that they had considered Bloemfontein, which was the sponsor’s preferred venue, but it “was not available due to unforeseen reasons” and they decided on Moses Mabhida Stadium on Saturday, May 18.
CAHOOTS: Dr Irvin Khoza. Photo: Sydney Mahlangu/Backpagepix.
In an interesting twist, the Free State Rugby Union dismissed the claims regarding the hosting of the Nedbank Cup final at the Toyota Stadium in Bloemfontein.
The PSL announced that they plan to also host the PSL end-of-year awards at the International Convention Centre in Durban on Sunday, May 19.
Khoza should have just come out and said: the PSL are in partnership with whatever governmental office to host both the final and awards in eThekwini because it is a great idea.
It is only right to make an exciting weekend of it and test this new concept of a cup final and awards ceremony in the city that knows how to throw a party.
SURPRISE PACKAGE: Chippa United will travel to Durban final. Photo: Sydney Mahlangu/Backpagepix.
Yes, it was quite refreshing when last years final came to Cape Town.
Unfortunately for us, the teams that contested the final were well, Free State Stars and Maritzburg United.
Both those teams are fighting for survival in this campaign, so that should tell you how hard it must have been to attract fans to the stadium for that match.
I don’t get it mfowethu, I really don’t get it.
I just don’t get why our football leaders like creating such a mess of things.
FINALISTS: Kaizer Chiefs to contest Nedbank final on 18 May. Photo: Backpagepix.
I mean, we love this game.
We love playing it and we love watching it.
But we should not be made toys to play with by self-appointed football puppet masters.