A club threatening to move to another city due to inadequate care of the stadium field, a leading coach complaining about another pitch where he’ll soon face another title-runner, and a new stadium field that cannot be used due the poor condition the pitch is in: Football in South Africa is facing a number of challenges.
Vincent “Masenti” Myeni, Chairman of Midlands Wanderers a club that currently plays in the 2nd division, has threatened authorities of Msunduzi Municipality (Pietermaritzburg), that they will relocate to the Mpumalanga Stadium, elsewhere in the province, if they do not take responsibility for maintaining the field.
This follows an incident earlier this month where the club and its supporters were forced to cut the grass of the Harry Gwala Stadium field a day before a league match.
Mamelodi Sundowns
Meanwhile, Miguel Cardoso, coach of the title defender in the Premier Soccer League (PSL), Mamelodi Sundowns, has called for better maintenance of the football pitches across South Africa. Last Saturday, Sundowns hosted Orlando Pirates at the Loftus Versfeld Stadium in Pretoria. This venue is also the home ground of the Blue Bulls rugby team. Sundowns also plays home games at the Lucas Moripe Stadium in Attridgeville. “It is true that our pitch has not been in proper condition for the last three matches,” the coach said at a press conference in the run up to the clash. He claimed to have already talked to the CEO of the league. “I have already spoken about the need to water pitches and maintain them properly. These are the things we should focus on if we want South African football to develop,” he added.
Mamelodi Sundowns won the game last Saturday with 1-0. However, recalling their clash at the end of the 2024-2025 campaign (also at Loftus Versfeld), Cardoso said: “That game was horrible to play. The pitch was muddy and slippery, and it stopped both teams from playing good football,” he recalled. “The better the pitch, the better the football.”
Vhuilafuri Stadium
While many complaints focus on venues used for the highest two football leagues, football fans in Limpopo province complain about the field of their new Vhuilafuri Stadium in Madabani.
Water shortages are being blamed for the fact that the grass has not grown adequately at the new venue.
The R37 million (approximately EUR 2 million) venue was recently handed over to the community after a two-year delay. Together with the construction of the stadium, three boreholes had been drilled. However, only one produces water. This is not enough to irrigate the field.
Mayor Dorcas Mboyi said at the handover that the municipality is considering installing synthetic turf to ensure the stadium has a proper surface.
The idea has gained momentum as residents in the surrounding areas are also lacking water and are increasingly being forced to buy from neighbours who have sunk boreholes.
The upcoming Grass/Hybrid edition of Sportsfields.Magazine runs a story on the Soccer City stadium field, the venue that hosted both the opening and final of the 2010 FIFA World Cup tournament.