Fan park treat for soccer lovers

THERE was a good turn-out of journalists at the launch of the Durban fan park for the Carling Black Label Champion Cup, a clash between the two giants of South African football, Orlando Pirates and Kaizer Chiefs, on July 30.

Durban fans of these two clubs will have no need to make the long and costly trip to Joburg, with the fan park offering more than 5 000 local fans the opportunity to be part of an unforgettable match-day experience.

With a crowd of more than 90 000 spectators expected at the FNB Stadium on the day, local Chiefsand Pirates fans can viewthe same game on a massivescreen at Kingsmead cricket stadium, and at the same time put their coaching abilities to the test by selecting their list of players for the starting line-up.

Pirates, the defending champions, have won the match on four of the five occasions it has been played since 2011, all of them by way of the penalty spot.

Bingi Mavi, of M-Sports Communication, was a mine of information at the launch as she revealed the names of the pre-match DJs who will entertain the fans at Kingsmead.

Carling Black Label has secured a phenomenal line-up of Durban’s hottest musical acts, including DJ Sox, DJ Bongs, DJ Merlon, DJ Le Soul, DJ Wobbly, Hip Hop DJ Meech and DJ Mngadi, as a warm-up before the 3pm kick-off.

But this is not all. A number of exciting activities have been lined up at various outlets around Durban where fans will get the chance to participate in weekly competitions for Carling Black Label Cup fan merchandise.

Tickets to the Durban fan park are available at Computicket, starting at R50.

Fans should get to Kingsmead early to avoid missing out on the pre-match entertainment, with the gates to the fan park opening at noon on the day.

Fans across the country can still continue to vote and make their voices heard by buying a specially marked bottle of Carling Black Label beer and looking for the unique underliner which will allow them to vote.

By dialling *120*660*underlinercode# on their cellphones (at a cost of 20 cents per 20 seconds) or by visiting website www.carlingblacklabel.co.za fans can select their starting line-ups and lead their respective team to victory.

According to the competition rules, Pirates coach Muhsin Ertugral and Chiefs coach Steve Khompela will not be in sole charge of their teams, with one lucky fan from each team taking the head coach role on the day.