The Polokwane Municipality has explained the embarrassing incidents that occurred at the Peter Mokaba Stadium during a DStv Premiership match between Baroka and Orlando Pirates on Tuesday evening.
The clash ended 0-0, but it was not the result that made the headlines. In the first incident, the floodlights were off for almost two minutes which caused play to be temporarily stopped.
In a second incident that shocked the entire football fraternity, the ambulance personnel were heavily criticized after what seemed to be incompetence in reacting to the collision between Orlando Pirates goalkeeper Richard Ofori and defender Paseka Mako.
After suffering a concussion, Mako had to be rushed to a private hospital in Polokwane. Pirates coach Fadlu Davids has since confirmed that the player was stable and conscious.
Speaking to FARPost on Wednesday, the manager responsible for Sport and Recreation, which includes running the Peter Mokaba Stadium, Manhlako Sebaka, said the events caused alarm.
“It’s an incident that has caused us also to panic. I take it there was a bit of communication between the medical personnel and people who were in charge, either the referee or anyone who is in charge, but for us, it’s something that caused a bit of consternation to the extent that our own Executive Mayor (John Mpe) had to come to the stadium to find out what has happened,” he said.
“Maybe we should also extend that invitation that is extended to us (for comment) to possibly the PSL and get their side of the story because of the pitch issue we normally leave it to the PSL to respond to it.”
When asked if he admits the municipality could have handled the incidents better, he said: “We always wish to be perfectionists in everything we do, but there are certain times when things will just not go according to how you wish or how you had planned as such.”
On the floodlights going off, Sebaka said there was an oversight regarding the generator they used at the facility. “I can confirm that we have been running on a generator for our game. Unfortunately, one of the centres did not pick up that there isn’t enough fuel in the small container so for 11 seconds it did not pump petrol into the generator so for 11 seconds we ended up with lights off,” he said.
The municipality also confirmed that there would be further investigations, and an official statement will be issued on Wednesday.
