Why Khoza is looking to Durban for the Soweto derby
JOHANNESBURG — Premier Soccer League chairman Irvin Khoza has raised the possibility of moving the Soweto derby to Durban after supporters were locked out of FNB Stadium during Orlando Pirates’ 2–1 league win over Kaizer Chiefs on Saturday. Khoza pointed to a fixture involving the same two clubs as his reason for considering Durban: their Nedbank Cup final there went ahead without the crowd problems reported in Johannesburg. He has requested a briefing for Thursday, 5 November. No venue change has been announced.
Chiefs, the home side for Saturday’s Betway Premiership match, announced on 16 October that tickets had sold out and urged supporters to arrive early. Stadium Management South Africa chief executive Bertie Grobbelaar said the tickets had sold within six hours and that entry would be fully digital. On match day, supporters arriving shortly before kick-off were denied entry as organisers tried to prevent further crowding.
The gates were under scrutiny before kick-off
Access to FNB Stadium had already drawn government attention. In the week before the derby, the Department of Sport, Arts and Culture announced that Minister Gayton McKenzie and the stadium operator would inspect the turnstiles, entry gates, spectator routes and exits. Gauteng’s provincial government also announced additional policing measures for the fixture.
Khoza said some of those responsible for staging the derby had failed to do their jobs. He declined to identify them before Thursday’s briefing but warned that he would name them publicly if the problems persisted. Durban’s Moses Mabhida Stadium remains an option he has raised for future derbies. The immediate task for organisers is to account for why a fixture they knew was sold out still ended with supporters outside the gates.
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