Revealed: Why The PSL Has Blacklisted FNB Stadium For Major Cup Finals
Persistent traffic mismanagement and safety failures by the Johannesburg Metropolitan Police Department (JMPD) have forced the Premier Soccer League (PSL) to exclude FNB Stadium from hosting major cup finals, Sportswire can reveal.
The PSL, allegedly, will consider returning major showpiece matches to the 94,000-capacity Calabash in the future, but only if local authorities drastically improve traffic policing and stadium access.
Sources close to the league indicate that PSL leadership is deeply frustrated by recurring logistical issues surrounding high-profile matches like the Soweto Derby. Late stadium arrivals have repeatedly forced kickoff delays—a scenario that severely harms the league’s global broadcast brand and alienates corporate partners.
FNB Stadium last hosted an MTN8 final during the 2011/12 season, when Orlando Pirates secured a dramatic 1-0 victory over Soweto rivals Kaizer Chiefs after extra time—marking a 15-year hiatus for the Johannesburg venue.
It is clear they are going to wait to get another major cup final involving the Big Three, until they get planning in order to satisfy the PSL.
PSL long-serving acting CEO Mato Madlala has explained why Moses Mabhida Stadium remains a preferred venue, particularly because the league gets the necessary support from the authorities when it comes to planning and security.
“People are quick to forget that these games are distributed across the entire country,” Madlala said on Prime Time Sport with Ukhozi FM.
“Our stance at the PSL is that we cannot rely on a single venue. If that venue—God forbid—is torched or compromised, where do we go?”
Madlala pointed out that the league has successfully expanded its footprint to regional hubs.
“Many games now go to Mbombela Stadium; Mbombela is fully prepared now. The first game we took there was a disaster—you couldn’t enter or leave,” Madlala explained.
“We then expanded to Polokwane’s Peter Mokaba Stadium. All these venues, including Johannesburg, host derbies. This is about building capacity across all provinces.”
However, Madlala singled out eThekwini Municipality for setting the gold standard in event execution.
“In eThekwini, there is nothing you request as a football administrator that they fail to deliver,” Madlala stressed. “From SAPS and Metro Police to municipal services, Durban always delivers.”
“The first Soweto Derby Nedbank Cup final at Moses Mabhida Stadium in the 2024/25 season started exactly on time. When the final whistle blew, the stadium cleared out completely within 30 minutes. How do you argue with that track record?”
On Wednesday, it became clear that the PSL ultimately has the authority to determine where the final is staged, particularly when the fixture involves two of the so-called ‘Big Three’ clubs in the league.
Kholofelo Magagane, MTN General Manager for Brand and Marketing, reiterated that the sponsor fully backs the league’s venue decisions.
“The decision on the final venue always rests entirely with the PSL,” Magagane said.
“We appreciate wherever the PSL takes the game, and we show up with our ‘sea of yellow.’ While only the PSL can detail the technical advantages of selecting the same venue 11 times, we fully support their vision.”
Unlike the bottlenecked access routes surrounding FNB Stadium in Nasrec, Moses Mabhida Stadium features multiple ingress and egress arteries, ensuring Saturday’s showpiece will start on schedule without broadcast disruptions.
Moses Mabhida Stadium will host the MTN8 final for the 11th time on Saturday since opening for domestic use after the 2010 FIFA World Cup.
As it will be the 11th time Moses Mabhida Stadium host the MTN8 finals since opening after the 2010 FIFA World Cup— that is 65% hosting rate unmatched by any other stadium in South Africa.
Meanwhile, eThekwini Executive Director of Community Services Vusi Mazibuko confirmed last week that they are determined to host the next cup final.
