Chippa United insist they are moving their next Premier Soccer League match to East London – but opponents Bidvest Wits say they know nothing about it and the PSL have not published a decision on the proposed switch.
This has left an air of confusion around the fixture as the holiday break approaches.
Chippa chairman Siviwe Mpengesi told reporters at the weekend that his club had been handed the go-ahead to move their January 9 game against Wits from Port Elizabeth to Buffalo City Stadium after previous efforts to host last Friday’s game against Bloemfontein Celtic at the venue fell through.
He outlined plans for the squad to camp in East London in preparation for the match when they return from their holidays.
He also detailed other games that Chippa intended switching from the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium to East London.
But the PSL has yet to confirm the switch for a fixture just over a fortnight away and pointedly has the venue as Port Elizabeth in its official correspondence, sent to club on Monday.
Wits not only say they know nothing of the proposed switch but they have already bought their plane tickets to the Friendly City.
Mpengesi said he wanted to play five games in East London this season including the matches against Wits, Ajax Cape Town (January 24), Jomo Cosmos (February 6) and Maritzburg United (March 19).
“We will still decide on the last game,” said Mpengesi, “but Ronnie Schloss (the PSL’s chief operations officer) was there last week and we are going to play there.”
Schloss visited East London in November and ordered a major improvement to the pitch.
The failure to get the playing surface up to the required standard in time was the reason the match against Celtic was not switched as Mpengesi originally planned.
Wits’ chief executive Jose Ferreira said they had received no communication on the matter at all.
East London has not seen any top-flight soccer since Mthatha Bush Bucks were relegated eight years ago.
PSL mum over Chippa match venue in EL
This has left an air of confusion around the fixture as the holiday break approaches.
Chippa chairman Siviwe Mpengesi told reporters at the weekend that his club had been handed the go-ahead to move their January 9 game against Wits from Port Elizabeth to Buffalo City Stadium after previous efforts to host last Friday’s game against Bloemfontein Celtic at the venue fell through.
He outlined plans for the squad to camp in East London in preparation for the match when they return from their holidays.
He also detailed other games that Chippa intended switching from the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium to East London.
But the PSL has yet to confirm the switch for a fixture just over a fortnight away and pointedly has the venue as Port Elizabeth in its official correspondence, sent to club on Monday.
Wits not only say they know nothing of the proposed switch but they have already bought their plane tickets to the Friendly City.
Mpengesi said he wanted to play five games in East London this season including the matches against Wits, Ajax Cape Town (January 24), Jomo Cosmos (February 6) and Maritzburg United (March 19).
“We will still decide on the last game,” said Mpengesi, “but Ronnie Schloss (the PSL’s chief operations officer) was there last week and we are going to play there.”
Schloss visited East London in November and ordered a major improvement to the pitch.
The failure to get the playing surface up to the required standard in time was the reason the match against Celtic was not switched as Mpengesi originally planned.
Wits’ chief executive Jose Ferreira said they had received no communication on the matter at all.
East London has not seen any top-flight soccer since Mthatha Bush Bucks were relegated eight years ago.
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