Couch enthusiasts of the beautiful game can expect a fast and furious Nedbank Cup final between relegation-threatened DStv Premiership teams Chippa United and Tshakhuma Tsha Madzivhandila at Bloemfontein Stadium.
Both teams had a stroke of luck to make it to the final on 8 May but both coaches have bemoaned football games played in empty stadiums, describing them as ‘dry encounters’ lacking the ‘va-va-voom drive of the spectators.
Addressing a press conference at Houghton Hotel ahead of the final in Bloemfontein, Chilli Boys coach Serbian Vladislav Heric said he longed for the day that spectators would be allowed back in the stands.
“To me, football is not football at all without spectators as they are the vital cog of this beautiful game of football. I pray that very soon they can be welcomed back to the stands as games without them are nothing but ‘dry encounters’,” he told journalists via a virtual link.
“It’s like a pastor preaching to an empty church hall,” interjected Tshakhuma coach Dylan Kerr. “We want those fans back as football without them is no football at all. We miss that cheer which tends to spur on the players.”
Turning to the game on Saturday, Heric said he and Kerr were best of friends and constantly called each other after their games to find out how it went. “This Saturday will be a different ball game altogether.
“We may be friends but after this Saturday’s game, don’t expect a call from me. It’s not going to be football but war. We will throw everything into the encounter in a bid to win the game,” Heric said.
Kerr on the other hand said he had a headache selecting the team for the Kaizer Chiefs to match on 4 May which they won 2–1. “This time around, I will be having a super headache in the form of a migraine to choose the starting 11 of the Nedbank Cup final.”
A lot is at stake for Chilli Boys and the rookies of the premiership Tshakhuma, as a whopping R7 million awaits the winner including the right to represent the country in the Caf Confederations Cup and the opportunity to leave a multi-million rand legacy sports facility for a school of their choice in their province.
