POLOKWANE – The MTN 8 semi-final match between the South African football giants Orlando Pirates and Mamelodi Sundowns brought a lot of economic spin-offs to the city.
This is according to Manthlako Sebaka, sport and recreation manager at Polokwane Municipality.
The gripping encounter was attended by 42 000 football supporters at the Peter Mokaba Sports Complex on Saturday.
Sebaka said the retail shops, hospitality sector, hawkers and SMMEs were able to capatalise on the event.
“It has been a while since we hosted a match of this magnitude. People were happy to be at the stadium and most of the establishments were booming.”
He said they will engage with Premier Soccer League, South African Football Association and other entities to bring their matches and events to the city in the near future.
Pirates beat Sundowns 3-0 to proceed to the final where they will meet Amazulu at the Moses Mabidha Stadium in Durban on November 5.
Sello Maleka, acting chief executive officer of Limpopo Tourism Agency (LTA) said they were happy to receive droves of soccer lovers in the city for the match.
“The agency wishes to thank Mamelodi Sundowns Football Club for thinking of Limpopo for the spectacle. LTA has for the past six years built a stable relationship with both Polokwane Municipality and Limpopo-based Premier Soccer League clubs in the elite DStv Premiership League. The province has been fortunate to always have a club or two in the premiership division, despite their inconsistency to sustain their stay in the elite league.”
“These are the only two clubs in the sub-continent which have both contested several times, up to the finals in the CAF Champions League and have won it at least once each. Clearly these are the South African football giants, and any province would like to host soccer games of this magnitude. The match benefited businesses in Polokwane and the province with several sub-sectors in the tourism value chain benefiting such as hospitality, restaurants and eateries, services sector, filling stations and accommodation facilities,” Maleka said.
