Bay fans miss out on Chippa’s cup game

CHIPPA United management confirmed yesterday that the club’s Telkom Knockout Cup game against Mamelodi Sundowns would be played in East London next Sunday.

Chief operations officer Lukhanyo Mzinzi said the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium was initially the first choice venue, but a clash with another event forced them to take the match to the Sisa Dukashe Stadium in Mdantsane.

“Before the draw, we submitted Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium as our venue,” he said.

“However, after the draw it came to light that an event booked months in advance by Color Run was being held at the stadium.

“We told the PSL that the two events could happen on the same day, but the PSL was not comfortable with that for security reasons.

“The onus on where the cup game is played rests with the PSL.

“If the home club cannot provide a home venue, the PSL has the discretion to take the match where it wants, including the away venue.

“The alternative ground we have registered and approved by the PSL is Sisa Dukashe.

“The metro and Chippa United tried everything they could to make sure the event would be staged in Port Elizabeth, but some events are booked a year in advance.

“You cannot expect the stadium to cancel it.”

Municipal media management officer Kupido Baron said the municipality was mindful of the fact that the soccer-loving public would be missing out on a high-profile match.

“Due to the Wolfson Stadium not being approved for the Telkom Knockout, we could not keep the match in Nelson Mandela Bay,” he said.

“However, we are continuously mindful that the Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality receive a decent return on our investment by keeping Chippa United accountable.”

Meanwhile, chairman Siviwe “Chippa” Mpengesi said he aimed to bring Premier Soccer League games to more towns in the Eastern Cape.

Mpengesi said the club was serious about their commitment of bringing top flight soccer to the entire province and they were working on finding a way of taking games to places like Mthatha and Aliwal North.

“We are aiming to make our province a football destination and we also want revive the olden days of soccer when teams like Bush Bucks were playing entertaining football,” he said.

“This is also our way of giving back to our previously disadvantaged communities, because Mdantsane is already on the map.

“I'm sure people outside the province did not know that we have Sisa Dukashe Stadium as a venue, but now they do.

“We want to do this all over the province, especially in Mthatha, because we want to market the province through Chippa United so that we can grow together.”