The debate over the use of artificial grass pitches in professional football matches is one that is continually ongoing in football leagues across the globe, but should Africa adopt it?
Bafana Bafana recently played Congo Brazzaville on artificial turf in Pointe Noire, and went on to win 2-0, but there was talk of the playing surface ahead of the game.
There are a lot of different opinions from players, managers and fans over whether 3G pitches should be installed and used more widely, however both sides of the argument have valid points.
Soccer Laduma spoke to Rebecca Honeybill of Soft Surfaces, who took a look at the merits of both surfaces.
Pros of natural grass:
A lot of professional players often prefer natural grass football pitches over synthetic turf, with performance characteristics forming the basis of their argument. The natural surfacing is of course the most traditional specification for pitches used in competitive football leagues and the playing qualities in terms of ball roll, bounce and player experience are often favoured. Some also say that the synthetic grass specifications cause more injuries to players and can hold potentially dangerous bacteria within the artificial fibres, meaning there are doubts over its safety in comparison to real grass. Congo Brazzaville coach, Claude Le Roy expressed concerns over the playability of synthetic turf after his team lost 2-0 to Bafana earlier; he believes his side can do much better with the playing qualities of a natural grass pitch.
Pros of artificial turf
Although some people prefer the performance characteristics of natural grass and see it as the superior surface, many clubs and teams do still choose to have 3G football pitches installed for different reasons. The advanced synthetic turf carpet is specially designed to mimic the playing qualities of natural grass, so the effect on performance should be minimal as long as the pitch surfacing is looked after properly. Artificial pitches are so popular in Africa because the hot and dry weather means natural pitches can easily become dried out and hard, leading to a loss of performance quality which doesn't happen with the all weather 3G turf carpets.
On the other hand, synthetic grass is also ideal for areas with wet climates as its porous surface allows rain water to drain away easily without causing any flooding in wet weather. The financial benefits of using synthetic pitches can often be one of the main reasons why clubs use them as the reduced maintenance needs can save on costs compared to a natural pitch which requires more looking after. Artificial grass is also a lot more durable and can be used continuously without becoming muddy or damaged, so clubs can create extra revenue by renting the facility out to other teams and organisations.
In conclusion…
There are clear benefits to using artificial grass pitches more widely in professional football, especially where issues such as climate and financial stability have an effect on the type of facilities a club needs to use. However many players feel that the performance qualities of even the best 3G surfaces still can't match up to a natural grass pitch, so it's unclear whether synthetic grass facilities will be on the increase in the higher professional football leagues.
Should more football teams around Africa adopt artificial turf?
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