SuperSport United have confirmed that they applied for a venue change in order to help out Mamelodi Sundowns for the CAF Champions League.
Sundowns take on Zesco United in the second-leg of their CCL semi-final this weekend, however, didn’t have a stadium booked for the encounter - with SuperSport set to take on Free State Stars at Lucas Moripe.
Now, however, Masandawana will play their game in Pretoria while Matsatsantsa will travel to Durban for their Absa Premiership tie.
SuperSport United CEO, Stan Matthews confirmed that they were under no obligation to relinquish their booking of Lucas Moripe, but felt it was the ‘right thing to do’ for their cross-city rivals.
In a statement, Matthews said, “I can't pretend that we are happy about the situation as it is disruptive to our coach's plans, our players, our supporters, our sponsors and our budget, but sometimes you have to look at the bigger picture and we truly want to support Sundowns in their quest for African glory, which will benefit the standing of the PSL as a whole and maybe mean additional qualifying spots down the line. We hope our gesture gives them the added extra to reach the final where they can fly the SA flag high.”
They also went on to say that, ‘SuperSport United wishes to apologise to those supporters and stakeholders who will no longer be able to make the fixture and wishes to thank Free State Stars and the PSL for their positive and helpful approach in assisting Sundowns in solving their administrative problem.’
It has been confirmed that SuperSport’s clash with Stars will now take place at King Zwelithini Stadium in the township of Umlazi on the same date and time.
Fans who had already purchased tickets for Lucas Moripe Stadium can use the same ticket to gain entry at the Ethekwini venue.
Sundowns go into their game as they hope to overturn the 2-1 deficit from the first-leg and book their spot in the CCL final.
