June 24, 2004
By Lucky Sindane
JOHANNESBURG has been chosen to stage Africa's dazzling soccer showpiece, the 2004 Vodacom Challenge, for the first time since the competition's inception in 1999.
The Vodacom Challenge is an annual soccer fest hosted by Orlando Pirates and Kaiser Chiefs. The South African soccer giants invite two top African clubs: this year they come from the Democratic Republic of Congo.
Previous cup ties have been held in Durban and Mmabatho. But this year it is Johannesburg's turn to share in the spectacle: Soccer City has been chosen as the venue of the final and the playoff for third place.
Two top football clubs from central Africa, TP Mazembe and ASV, will take on Pirates and Chiefs, the defending champions, on their home soil.
Gauteng's premier, Mbhazima Shilowa, welcomed the announcement that the competition would come to the city.
"We thank Vodacom and the two host teams, Kaizer Chiefs and Orlando Pirates, for having placed their trust in us," he said.
"It is well known that the people of Gauteng are passionate about sport and particularly about the beautiful game of football. We are confident that the government and the people of Gauteng will make this the best Vodacom Challenge ever.
"We will not disappoint you," said Shilowa.
The matches in Johannesburg will be supported by the Gauteng government, the City of Johannesburg and the Gauteng Tourism Authority.
Chiefs take on TP Mazembe and Pirates tackle ASV in the first-round matches at the Mmabatho Stadium on Sunday 11 July. The finals will be fought at Soccer City, near Nasrec, on Saturday 17 July.
The winner will take home a cheque of R1-million and a kudu-horn trophy; the runner-up will take home R500 000. Third place will earn R300 000 and R200 000 will go to the team that comes fourth.
Chiefs will want to continue the magnificent performance they produced last season, which had them finish top of the Premier Soccer League. Pirates, however, didn't have a particularly good year: they finished fifth on the log.
Irvin Khoza, the chairperson of Orlando Pirates, said: "The Vodacom Challenge has a passionate spot in the hearts of South African fans and I have no doubt that they will come out in their numbers to fill the Mmabatho and Soccer City stadiums, to watch African football of the highest quality being delivered by Pirates, Chiefs and the DRC teams."
And Kaizer Motaung, the Chiefs boss, said: "Both TP Mazembe and ASV are strong clubs from the DRC, and we look forward to exciting football in this year's competition.
"Bringing the final to Gauteng on the eve of Madiba's birthday will also bring a new spirit to the challenge," he added.
Mthobi Tyamzashe, the cellphone firm's corporate affairs executive, said Vodacom - a leading cellular network in Africa and a company that has a big presence in the DRC - was delighted the central African clubs had accepted the invitation to play.
"We look forward to a capacity crowd at the Vodacom Challenge second leg to be held at Soccer City, which is one of the key venues to be used for the 2010 Soccer World Cup," he added.
The Vodacom Challenge had drawn large crowds in Durban over the years, but it was crucial to take the final to a larger stadium such as Soccer City, Tyamzashe said.
Tickets are available at Computicket (www.computicket.com). The Mmabatho matches cost R30; the finals at Soccer City cost R50.
Permission to use web site material
Publishers may use material from this site free of charge, as long as:
- Credit is given to either the "City of Johannesburg website
(www.joburg.org.za)" or to "Johannesburg News Agency
(www.joburg.org.za)";
- If the article is used online, a link is provided to the original
article on this website;
- The name of the article's author is acknowledged;
-
The webmaster is informed of how and where the material is used (fill
in this brief online form).
Johannesburg News Agency is operated by BIG Media at 011-484-1400 |
