eThekwini City Manager: ‘The Pitch Looks Splendid For the MTN8 Final’
eThekwini City Manager Musa Mbele has assured football fans that Moses Mabhida Stadium will be in pristine condition for next weekend’s MTN8 final between Orlando Pirates and Mamelodi Sundowns.
Mbele confirmed that the Premier Soccer League (PSL) inspected the playing surface and expressed complete satisfaction with its progress. To resolve previous pitch issues, the stadium hired a pitch specialist from Polokwane to ensure the surface meets top international standards.
“We had roped in one of the best guys in the country, who is now an employee,” said Mbele.
“Then I had an opportunity to meet the PSL last week. PSL said, ‘we truly appreciate the work that you have done in such a short space’.
“The pitch looks splendid. In fact, they said we now have confidence that the match will be played at the stadium with a world-class pitch.
“That was not me, but the PSL. They put the money where their mouth is because they made the announcement on Monday.
“They wouldn’t have made that announcement if they doubted that the pitch was perfect.”
Moses Mabhida Stadium is set to host its 11th MTN8 final since opening its doors for domestic football following the 2010 FIFA World Cup. The Durban landmark has hosted five of the last six finals, featuring both South African giants—Pirates having won five titles and Sundowns taking one during that stretch.
Mbele also addressed recent venue changes for domestic fixtures, clarifying why Golden Arrows previously moved a match to Mbombela Stadium in Mpumalanga.
“But I want to highlight the fact that there was a specific reason why the Golden Arrows game against Kaizer Chiefs went to Mbombela Stadium, because of the size of the match itself,” continued Mbele.
“If Moses Mabhida was not available, we were trying to make it what attracted the PSL to announce it as the final venue, and we couldn’t secure Kings Park. We needed to look at other venues elsewhere that probably offer similar quality.
“We couldn’t take it to Princess Magogo Stadium because of the sheer numbers. We couldn’t take it to the Sugar Ray Xulu; we couldn’t take it to King Zwelithini Stadium and so on.
“That, as far as I’m concerned, is the main reason why that happened, as opposed to our stadiums not being in good condition.
“Bringing someone in as an expert, it is exactly what I responded to at the beginning.”
Tickets for the MTN8 final between Orlando Pirates and Mamelodi Sundowns go on sale on Friday.
