The Mbombela Stadium management and the Mbombela Local Municipality (MLM) are appealing to all soccer fans in the province to support Bafana Bafana when they host Ivory Coast on Sunday.
The two powerhouses in African football will compete for bragging rights in the Mandela Challenge, a trophy the South African national team last won in 2009 after beating Norway 2-1.
Even though this game falls outside the Fifa schedule, meaning that international players will not be part of this friendly played in honour of Nelson Mandela, both teams have promised to assemble their strongest players.
Appealing to soccer fans, the stadium’s official Mthuthuzeli Qamba said the success of hosting this game would be determined by the support from local supporters.
“This game is for the people of the province, and therefore we need to rally behind our boys and show the whole world that Mpumalanga is a soccer-loving province.
I want to urge everyone to come and support this worthy cause and our national team,” Qamba said.
These two heavyweights have actually met in the Mandela Challenge before, on November 2011, where they held each other to a one-all draw.
Having already booked a space in the African Cup of Nations to be hosted in Equatorial Guinea next year, both teams will use this friendly encounter as a build-up to the Afcon finals.
“This is our way of remembering and honouring our struggle icon and the father of the nation. This fixture is more important to us as a country, still trying to bridge the gaps and heal the ugly scars of apartheid.
“It also comes at a time when we commemorate the first anniversary since he passed on.
“We would like to urge everyone to make time and come make this game a success,” said MLM’s member of the mayoral committee, Zayd Boroko.
Soccer supporters planning to attend the game who don’t have transportation to the stadium shouldn’t worry, because there will be buses operating from the usual park-and-ride facilities.
Tickets are already selling at R60 and are also available at the stadium. Kick-off is
at 15:00.
