Polokwane City FC head coach Phuti Mohafe has come out in defence of the club’s decision to host their Betway Premiership tie against Kaizer Chiefs at the Old Peter Mokaba Stadium on Saturday night.
As first reported by FARPost, the Limpopo-based outfit opted to snub the 46,000-capacity New Peter Mokaba Stadium—the usual go-to for high-profile fixtures—in favour of the 16,000-capacity venue [Old Peter Mokaba Stadium] for last night’s league encounter against Amakhosi.
The decision appeared to pay off in terms of neutralising the Soweto giants, as the match ended in a 0-0 draw in Polokwane.
This marked the first time PLK City hosted the Glamour Boys at the Old Peter Mokaba Stadium, as Mohafe believes the venue “suits” them better and contributes to the team’s consistency.
‘WHERE MUST WE PLAY?’ – PHUTI MOHAFE
Speaking after the stalemate, Mohafe questioned why his side should be expected to move their home games to accommodate the massive following of visiting teams like Chiefs.
The coach went on to note that playing at the New Peter Mokaba Stadium often feels like an away game because Chiefs use the 2010 FIFA World Cup venue as their home ground for some of their matches, as they have an agreement with the Polokwane Municipality.
“This [Old Peter Mokaba Stadium] is our home ground. So, where must we play? We deserve to play on this home ground because at the New Peter Mokaba Stadium, they [Chiefs] take us to their home ground,” Mohafe said.
“We deserve to play here, not anywhere else, because when we go away, we play on their field, so why not? Let us continue playing at the Old Peter Mokaba Stadium. It suits us better, and we do well when we are playing in this field.”
While the pitch quality at the older venue has occasionally been a point of discussion, Mohafe was quick to dismiss any complaints, stating that his players are comfortable and thrive in the environment.
“Regardless of how the pitch looks, this is our wonderful pitch, and we love it,” Mohafe continued. “So, everybody must come to our pitch and play us at our ground. I’m becoming aggressive by saying that. They must come to our field and play on our field,” he added.
RELATED STORY: Polokwane coach questions Maboe’s Man of the Match award