With Mamelodi Sundowns forced to move their MTN8 second leg semifinal against Orlando Pirates from their base at Loftus Versfeld Stadium to the new Peter Mokaba in Polokwane, the club maintained yesterday they don't have a problem playing 300km away from base.
The Brazilians will host the Buccaneers in the second leg on October 22 at Peter Mokaba Stadium rather than Loftus after the Premier Soccer League released the fixtures yesterday.
Sunday Times reported last month that MTN, the sponsors of the tournament, asked the league to instruct Sundowns that they cannot play their MTN8 matches at Loftus due to visible Vodacom branding at the venue.
However, speaking to the media during the handover of multisport purpose to a community school – Soshanguve South Secondary School – in partnership with Nedbank, Sundowns chairman Tlhopie Motsepe said they don't mind playing the game in Polokwane.
"As the club, we want to spread football in the country as much as possible; some of our supporters are in that region and I'm sure they will want to see the game," Motsepe said yesterday.
"So we want to make sure that all our supporters in the country see a nail-biting and quality game against Orlando Pirates."
Asked if the decision was because of the league saying they won't play at Loftus because of the reported clash of sponsors, Motsepe was not keen to comment further.
"The decision to go to Polokwane is because we want to spread football in that region and our supporters to see the team play in a different place... that's the reason we want to go there."
According to the MTN8 rules found on the PSL website, no club may display a perimeter board in direct competition with the competition sponsor unless “such board is one of an official sponsor or supplier of the club which agreement must have been in place for at least sixty (60) days prior to the commencement of the competition, or the prior written permission of the Organising Committee has been given”.
Vodacom is not a Sundowns sponsor, but the Bulls rugby team’s sponsor. This explains why Pirates and Kaizer Chiefs can play MTN8 matches with the branding of their primary sponsor Vodacom on their kits and some advertising boards around the stadium.
In the other semifinal, Chiefs will host AmaZulu at FNB Stadium in the first leg on October 2 before traveling to Moses Mabhida Stadium for the second leg on October 23.
Sundowns happy to take Bucs semifinal 300km away
Motsepe won't say if PSL forced club to move due to clash of sponsors
Image: Darren Stewart
With Mamelodi Sundowns forced to move their MTN8 second leg semifinal against Orlando Pirates from their base at Loftus Versfeld Stadium to the new Peter Mokaba in Polokwane, the club maintained yesterday they don't have a problem playing 300km away from base.
The Brazilians will host the Buccaneers in the second leg on October 22 at Peter Mokaba Stadium rather than Loftus after the Premier Soccer League released the fixtures yesterday.
Sunday Times reported last month that MTN, the sponsors of the tournament, asked the league to instruct Sundowns that they cannot play their MTN8 matches at Loftus due to visible Vodacom branding at the venue.
However, speaking to the media during the handover of multisport purpose to a community school – Soshanguve South Secondary School – in partnership with Nedbank, Sundowns chairman Tlhopie Motsepe said they don't mind playing the game in Polokwane.
"As the club, we want to spread football in the country as much as possible; some of our supporters are in that region and I'm sure they will want to see the game," Motsepe said yesterday.
"So we want to make sure that all our supporters in the country see a nail-biting and quality game against Orlando Pirates."
Asked if the decision was because of the league saying they won't play at Loftus because of the reported clash of sponsors, Motsepe was not keen to comment further.
"The decision to go to Polokwane is because we want to spread football in that region and our supporters to see the team play in a different place... that's the reason we want to go there."
According to the MTN8 rules found on the PSL website, no club may display a perimeter board in direct competition with the competition sponsor unless “such board is one of an official sponsor or supplier of the club which agreement must have been in place for at least sixty (60) days prior to the commencement of the competition, or the prior written permission of the Organising Committee has been given”.
Vodacom is not a Sundowns sponsor, but the Bulls rugby team’s sponsor. This explains why Pirates and Kaizer Chiefs can play MTN8 matches with the branding of their primary sponsor Vodacom on their kits and some advertising boards around the stadium.
In the other semifinal, Chiefs will host AmaZulu at FNB Stadium in the first leg on October 2 before traveling to Moses Mabhida Stadium for the second leg on October 23.
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