Upgrade and stop gripes
THE demise of Bush Bucks in the PSL domestic league almost 10 years ago has resulted in this region missing out on topclass football.
Big clubs have also been reluctant to play at venues with poor pitches.
PSL insisted on the standards being met for any of its matches to be played here.
With the Buffalo City Stadium deemed unplayable, the Buffalo City Metro authorities decided to upgrade the Sisa Dukashe Stadium in Mdantsane.
Although the stadium was approved by the PSL, more work is necessary on Sisa’s drainage system.
This week, Sundowns coach Pitso Mosimane, after a league match against Chippa United, slated the wet, muddy surface, calling the pitch a “grazing field”.
Just days before Sundowns had hammered the mighty Orlando Pirates 6-0 in a league match.
The Pretoria club might have harboured ambitions of inflicting similar punishment on Chippa.
The match however, ended with a 1-1 draw – which may have been too much for Mosimane to swallow.
It is not entirely clear whether his criticism of the field was valid or a matter of sour grapes.
The PSL nevertheless showed itself ready to use the venue more often by approving a knockout cup fixture between EC Bees and Orlando Pirates.
PSL spokesman Luxolo September said they had taken into account the enthusiasm of the BCM mayor Xola Pakati and the provincial sports MEC Pemmy Majodina to have topclass football here.
Plus the pitch met minimum requirements, so he does not foresee any problems.
Pakati was upbeat about the economic spin-offs of a Pirates match for the city.
And though he felt that Mosimane’s criticism was unfair, he conceded there is a need to revamp all BCM sporting facilities, particularly in Mdantsane.
It is now up to BCM to get to work and improving the drainage system, and so avoid any similar complaints from other league clubs. That could sway the PSL bosses into reconsidering their position and diminish the prospects of top football in the metro once again.
The attitude of the PSL and Pirates chairman Irvin Khoza over the years has been to “take the game to the people” by playing in the heart of the townships.
Khoza is the most influential figure in domestic football and impressing him may well put an end to further criticism.
For years there have been calls for a world-class stadium to be established in Buffalo City to hold huge crowds for top domestic and international matches, but little has been done to date. Perhaps it is time to revisit that debate.