Change room confusion in Pirates-Sundowns match explained

Stadium Management CEO Bertie Grobbelaar has clarified the confusion regarding the change room debacle that preceded the Betway Premiership match between Orlando Pirates and Mamelodi Sundowns at FNB Stadium on Sunday.

The venue is a traditional home ground of Kaizer Chiefs but it was used for the top-of-the-table clash between the Buccaneers and the Brazilians.

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Sundowns were left with no choice but to use a change room that was a bit of a stretch from the tunnel that leads to the pitch.

Pirates eventually won the match 2-1 following a brace by Relebohile Mofokeng. Khuliso Mudau was on the score sheet for Sundowns in the epic clash that kicked off five minutes late.

Speaking on Radio 2000, Grobbelaar explained why Sundowns had to use an alternative change room.

“It’s more of a club matter but as far as the change room is concerned, there was nothing sinister. When there were discussions on playing the game here, we’ve got a contractual agreement and arrangement with Kaizer Chiefs as the tenant team that for Betway Premiership matches, they don’t need to vacate their change room and it will not be used,” Grobbelaar said to Thabiso Mosia on the Game On sports show.

“We then renovated and built a new change room in the old change room and that was made available to the club so nothing sinister from Stadium Management and Orlando Pirates, it was in an agreement that we concluded with them.

“There were alignment meetings and match commissioner meetings so I don’t understand the issue around that because that was communicated. We have two main ones and what we call the four old change rooms but we renovated them to be CAF compliant and PSL handbook compliant.”

Sundowns coach Miguel Cardoso made his dissatisfaction public about playing the game on a Sunday as opposed Saturday. The game was originally scheduled for Orlando Stadium before the PSL confirmed the venue and date changes. 

Grobbelaar says they were merely staging the game and took direction from the League.

“We’ve got nothing to do with that and I think my assumption is that from a club perspective, FNB has a bigger capacity than Orlando Stadium,” Grobbelaar added.

“We received a letter from the club inquiring about the availability of the 15th and 16th. Both dates were available and we then received a letter from the PSL confirming the 16th.

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“Obviously, from a stadium perspective, we would have loved for the game to be on the 15th on a Saturday because we believe there would have been a bigger attendance but that is what we got. We get the fixtures and we plan accordingly.”