Durban praised as MTN8 final venue prepares for 11th showpiece

PSL Acting CEO Mato Madlala says Durban provides everything required to stage major football matches, as Moses Mabhida Stadium prepares to host the MTN8 final for the 11th time in the competition’s 19 editions.

Orlando Pirates will face Mamelodi Sundowns at the Durban venue on Saturday, 10 October, with kick-off scheduled for 18:00.

Moses Mabhida Stadium has become closely associated with the MTN8 since opening as one of the venues for the 2010 FIFA World Cup. Its record of hosting the competition’s final will be extended when the two clubs meet this weekend.

Madlala also pointed to Durban’s wider record of staging high-profile football events, highlighting the support provided by the South African Police Service (SAPS) and Durban Metro Police.

She cited last year’s Nedbank Cup final between Kaizer Chiefs and Orlando Pirates as evidence of the city’s ability to manage the demands of a major fixture, including a high-profile Soweto Derby.

“Let me talk about Durban in particular, there’s nothing we ask from them that they don’t provide us with,” Madlala said on Ukhozi FM, as translated from IsiZulu.

“There’s nothing they say we can’t do, from the security, SAPS, Metro [traffic police], everything, they can give us everything.

“If people remember well, we brought the Soweto Derby – Nedbank Cup final last year, the match kicked off on time and people were out in 30 minutes after the game. How do you argue with that?”

PSL to continue rotating cup finals

Madlala said the PSL would maintain its policy of moving cup finals between different stadiums rather than relying on a single venue.

Mbombela Stadium and New Peter Mokaba Stadium have both hosted finals recently, while Johannesburg remains a regular venue for major matches, including the Soweto Derby.

The PSL acting chief executive said the aim was to ensure stadiums across the country were equipped to host important cup fixtures.

“People tend to forget quickly, these games [cup finals], they are rotating,” she added.

“What we said as PSL is there must not be only one venue that is capable of hosting [a cup final] because God forbid if that is burnt down or whatever happens to it, where are we going to go?

“Some games go to Mbombela [Stadium] now, they are ready now. The first cup final we took to Mbombela was a disaster, it was difficult to enter or leave [the stadium].”

The league subsequently staged a final at Polokwane’s New Peter Mokaba Stadium, with Madlala saying the experience formed part of the process of developing more suitable venues.

“We then went to Polokwane [New Peter Mokaba Stadium]. Meanwhile, in Johannesburg, they always have these big games, Soweto Derby. So, we have to capacitate all provinces.”