Stadiums promise to get their houses in order after PSL red cards

For a country that hosted the Fifa World Cup in 2010, it is surprising that as many as six PSL teams started the season uncertain about their home venues after the league red-carded some of them.

Sekhukhune United, AmaZulu, Stellenbosch , Richards Bay, and Chippa United, among other teams, were forced to relocate their matches because the league ruled their chosen venues were inadequate, mainly due to poor pitch conditions.

But stadium managers have told Sowetan their venues are now ready to host PSL matches.

Kaizer Chiefs were the latest team to be homeless after their regular stadium was booked to host the Springboks-All Blacks clash next weekend, leaving Amakhosi to look elsewhere for their league game against Siwelele on September 5.

Chiefs’ alternative venue, Durban’s Moses Mabhida Stadium, is awaiting the thumbs-up from the PSL to host the clash.

Moses Mabhida Stadium’s manager, Sijabulile Ntuli, confirmed that the venue had undergone the requisite refurbishments demanded by the PSL so it can now host games.

“We’re good now. We’ve an agreement with Chiefs; they are bringing their game against Siwelele to Mabhida ... it’s confirmed between us,” Ntuli said.

“However, everything depends on the PSL signing everything off and being happy. We are confident that everything is okay now.”

Ntuli explained why Mabhida hasn’t hosted any games this season, despite circulating pictures showing that the pitch was immaculate.

“The reason ... is that the stadium has been under maintenance, but it hasn’t been closed. The engineers advised that games can be played during construction.

“We were still doing major work on the roof, but now we agreed that we will pause that process when there are games since the pitch is now ready. You can’t do roofing while there’s a game.”

On Wednesday, Richards Bay, whose traditional home ground in Umhlathuze is currently banned from hosting games, was to host Chiefs at Princess Magogo Stadium instead of Moses Mabhida.

But curiously, the pitch at that stadium in KwaMashu, which last hosted a professional match five years ago, looked in a far worse condition than the one the PSL has recently barred.

Moses Mabhida’s primary tenants, AmaZulu, have also been forced to play their home games at the adjacent Kings Park Stadium, a venue that Eastern Cape’s Chippa United were forced to use because Gqeberha’s Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium and Buffalo City Stadium in KuGompo were undergoing pitch rehabilitation.