Sisa Dukashe full of history

Stadium has mixed reviews by sports codes

IN RECENT times the Sisa Dukashe Stadium in Mdantsane is virtually most known for getting a thumbs down from Mamelodi Sundowns coach Pitso Mosimane earlier this year.

As he is wont to do, the current African Coach of the Year tore into the stadium in the immediate aftermath of his team’s one-all draw against Chippa United in the PSL, citing its bumpiness as the reason they had been forced to resort to the long ball to eke out a result.

With the SuperSport Rugby Challenge at the stadium tomorrow in the fourth of its five pool stages festivals, the 15 000-capacity stadium is going back to its roots in hosting the triple-header featuring club sides Winter Rose and Swallows, SWD Eagles and the EP Kings, with the Border Bulldogs and Western Province in the main game.

The stadium, which is situated at NU2 in South Africa’s second-biggest township, has hosted a few soccer games of players,” says Winter Rose president Simon Mlonyeni. “Up until then it was a rivalry. Now that they have all the resources, we’re the underdogs.”

Matyeshana’s counter was that “club players move all the time. We’ve also had players move to Winter Rose”. The most prominent example of a player who has played for both teams is Southern Kings winger Makazole Mapimpi, who was recently selected for the SA A team.

In recent years the two sides have produced other prominent players such as Thembelani Bholi, Ntabeni Dukisa and Border captain Siya Mdaka (Winter Rose), and former SA A representative Ntando Kebe (Swallows).

The two clubs go into their game at opposite ends of the log, with Swallows second behind Old Selbornians and Winter Rose in eighth place after losing four of their six games. —