Sisa blame game flare-up

Mdalfa, BCM at each other’s throats over poor attendance

AWAR of words has erupted between Mdantsane Local Football Association (Mdalfa) and the Buffalo City Metro (BCM) over the poor attendance of the MultiChoice Diski Challenge (MDC) festival hosted last weekend at the Sisa Dukashe Stadium.

Mdalfa lambasted the BCM for ignoring them during and prior to the aforementioned event hosted right in their backyard. They say the poor spectator turnout despite MDC access being free of charge could have easily been avoided had they been roped in.

The estimated attendance on day one of the MDC as Sisa was confirmed to have been 4 890 while that number rose to just above 6 500 on the second and last day.

As such, Mdantsane is second to Kwanyamazane as the worst host attendance wise this season.

This while Umlazi and Tembisa managed to achieve capacity crowds.

The numbers could have been bigger, said Mdalfa president Mnyamezeli Bomeni, had Mdalfa been involved as the legitimate hosting football body.

But BCM hit back saying it was not the municipality’s duty to deal with Mdalfa but that of another football body – PSL.

Theirs, as the city, said LOC chairman S’thembiso Khanyile, was to host and accept the responsibility for such.

PSL have since denied wrongdoing saying they deal with local football associations via the mother body – Safa national.

Bomeni fired the missile in the direction of BCM: “The MDC festival was supported by football loving people of Mdantsane but the support was not enough.

“I say this because had there been been proper preparations the spectators’ turnout would have been far better.

“As the hosting local football body, our involvement was minimal if non-existent at all because when we tried to contact the municipality they were nowhere to be found,” he charged.

“That was embarrassing and a shame to leave out the host association and if we continue this way it may affect the hosting of big soccer events in the future.”

According to Bomeni, their snubbing resulted to the poor turnout because had they been roped in, as the locals with understanding of football issues in Mdantsane, much more could have been done to rally people to attend.

Instead, claimed Bomeni, a meeting scheduled between him and Khanyile to discuss what role they wanted to play in the event never took place.

Khanyile denied this and went on to say he in fact never dealt with Bomeni.

“The MDC is not a PSL event not a festival of Buffalo City and the question of engaging Mdalfa is a football question that should be directed to PSL,” said Khanyile.

“We bid with the PSL for hosting therefore our strategic role was on organising and accepting responsibility to host because of the large spin-offs for soccer, social cohesion and relaunching Sisa Dukashe as the home of top-flight football.”

Khanyile went on to describe the MDC as one that was a success with “a healthy turnout all things considered”.

PSL media manager Luxolo September said they do not engage directly with LFAs but through Safa national. — zingisam-