The Polokwane International Airport in Limpopo has responded to claims that Zamalek SC had to cancel their travel plans ahead of the match against Kaizer Chiefs, with the Egyptian giants placing the blame on the facility.
Chiefs will host Zamalek in a CAF Confederation Cup Group D match at the New Peter Mokaba Stadium on Saturday, 29 November.
The Egyptian side started their group campaign with a 1-0 home win over Zambian side ZESCO United on Sunday. Chiefs, on the other hand, suffered a 2-1 defeat to Al Masry SC on the same day in Egypt.
Zamalek had reportedly planned to use a private plane to fly directly from Cairo to Polokwane, bypassing Johannesburg’s OR Tambo International Airport.
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However, according to reports from North Africa, the club has had to change its travel arrangements due to the ‘small’ airport in Polokwane, which has delayed its arrival.
But Gateway Airport Authority Limited [GAAL] spokesperson Tshepo Ramokgopa has rubbished the claims.
“We are an international airport that accepts or lands international flights on many occasions,” Ramokgopa told FARPost.
“However, we don’t have a commercial international airline. But we land on private chartered flights and international flights. For example, Germany landed here when the minister of health, Nina Warken, attended the G20 Health Ministry meeting [earlier this month]. We also had the president [Cyril Ramaphosa] landing here on the 18 of November.
“We have had football nations landing here like Equatorial Guinea, Lesotho, Bafana Bafana, Tanzania and Nigeria when they were playing at the Peter Mokaba Stadium. So we don’t have any challenges at all.”
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Meanwhile, Chiefs are expected back in South Africa on Tuesday to begin preparations for the clash against Zamalek. The Soweto giants will be eager to get their Confed Cup group phase campaign back on track with a positive result.
Tickets are available via Computicket online, as well as Shoprite and Checkers outlets, for R80 for the match that is set to kick off at 15:00 in Polokwane.
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