Fans pile into taxis, buses, airplanes for Nedbank Cup final

Kaizer Chiefs’ Tembisa branch will send a convoy of 21 taxis and three buses to transport hundreds of football fans to the Moses Mabhida Stadium in Durban for the Nedbank Cup final on Satuday, even though most don't have tickets. 

Saddam Maake, president of the SA National Supporters Organisation, told Sowetan that their members had already booked accommodation and paid for transport to Durban, but could not get tickets for the Chiefs-Orlando Pirates Soweto derby.

The tickets for the 50,000-seater stadium were massively oversubscribed, leading to disappointment for about 10,000 fans. “About 95% of the supporters, not just from Chiefs but also Pirates, are without tickets,” Maake said.

“But supporters want to go and watch the match. As supporters, we love our beautiful game and we are even willing to watch it on big screens in viewing parks.”

Maake added that many fans had already made non-refundable travel and accommodation arrangements and were now scrambling to find tickets, with some even turning to the black market, where prices have doubled.

“Tickets went to the wrong people, while real fans are left to pick up this mess . Some supporters took days off work and spent their savings to attend the match, only to be left out,” he said.

The issue of limited ticket availability has frustrated supporters nationwide.

In Gugulethu in the Western Cape, only one Toyota Quantum has been confirmed to take supporters on the 18-hour trip to eThekwini. “The last time we were there [for a Nedbank Cup final] was in 2019, and my face became a meme on social media because of the loss Kaizer Chiefs suffered,” said Olwethu Blangwe of the Gugulethu branch.

“Now I wanted to change the meme into that of a winning face.”

Only 26 fans from the Botswana Chiefs supporters’ branch are making their way to Durban in one minibus. “A trip to Durban is more than just a trip to watch a football game, as it is a tourist attraction,” said Mompoloki Moalosi from the branch. 

Meanwhile, Pirates’ Polokwane branch will send two minibus taxis with 30 fans, but even they are no longer planning to go to the stadium. “We won’t be going to the stadium any more due to our tickets being refunded. We will watch the game on the big screen set up at the fan park,” said Khoza Rixongile. 

There will be two fan parks in Durban – at Albert Park and the Durban beachfront

Kenneth Maseko from the Chiefs branch in Witbank said they would send three minibus taxis carrying 45 fans to the match.

At least 45 FlySafair flights are scheduled to depart from OR Tambo International Airport and Lanseria Airport in Joburg to Durban between today and tomorrow morning.

Kirby Gordon, chief marketing officer at FlySafair, said demand all flights from Joburg to Durban were sold out. 

With many fans without tickets descending on Durban in large numbers, , authorities are stepping up plans to manage the situation. 

Sfiso Shangase of the KwaZulu-Natal SA National Taxi Council said the organisation was collaborating with the transport MEC to host awareness activations at four major taxi ranks in eThekwini.  “These activations are meant to inform people about where they can safely watch the match, either on big screens or from home, and to discourage those without tickets from forcing their way into the stadium,” he said. 

“Most of our taxis will be coming from different cities. While we can’t allow vehicles to operate where they don’t have permits, we will be co-ordinating efforts to ensure fans can get to and from the game safely.” 

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