Motsepe Foundation Championship side Midlands Wanderers FC has announced its return to Harry Gwala Stadium in Pietermaritzburg after the facility was upgraded to meet PSL standards.
Harry Gwala Stadium has been the preferred home ground for the Pietermaritzburg-based club following their promotion from the SAFA ABC Motsepe League in 2025.
However, a few months into the National First Division, the club encountered issues at the venue, forcing them to use the Mpumalanga Stadium and Sugar Ray Xulu Stadium in the eThekwini Metropolitan Municipality.
Their issues at Harry Gwala Stadium, which is under the Msunduzi Municipality, included a neglected pitch, which led to club chairman Vincent ‘Masenti’ Myeni and supporters taking matters into their own hands to cut the grass a few hours before a league match.
WHY THE MOTSEPE FOUNDATION CHAMPIONSHIP CLUB MOVED FROM HARRY GWALA STADIUM
Since the beginning of the 2026/27 season, Wanderers have played in eThekwini. However, in an official statement issued on Tuesday, 3 November, the club confirmed that they would return to Harry Gwala for the first time since 2025.
“We are delighted to announce that our upcoming home fixture against Lerumo Lions F.C. will take place at Harry Gwala Stadium, Pietermaritzburg,” the club said.
“As many of you will recall, the Premier Soccer League [PSL] previously declared Mpumalanga Stadium unplayable due to the condition of the playing surface. Consequently, we have been using Sugar Ray Xulu Stadium in Clermont as our temporary home venue since the commencement of the season.”
MIDLANDS WANDERERS WILL STILL USE MPUMALANGA AS HOME STADIUM
Despite the return to Harry Gwala, Wanderers have reiterated that the Mpumalanga Stadium remains their home venue for this season.
“We wish to reiterate that Mpumalanga Stadium remains our designated home ground, with Harry Gwala Stadium and Sugar Ray Xulu Stadium serving as our alternative venues”
The league match against Lerumo Lions will take place on Saturday, 7 November at 15:30. The club has also announced that entry for the match will be free.
“We warmly invite all our supporters, potential sponsors, business partners and stakeholders to come out in numbers and support the team. Your presence and support mean a great deal to us as we continue representing Pietermaritzburg and the broader Midlands community with pride.”
Meanwhile, Wanderers sit 12th on the log after collecting just eight points from their opening nine matches of the season.
RELATED STORY: Midlands Wanderers boss opens up on stadium hurdles in quest for Pietermaritzburg homecoming
