Team owner Siviwe Mpengesi ended weeks of speculation when he yesterday confirmed the PSL fixture between Chippa United and Orlando Pirates on May 11 will be now be played at Nelson Mandela Bay stadium.
The fixture has been the subject of a tug-of-war battle between Buffalo City and the Nelson Mandela Bay municipalities.
However, Buffalo City Municipality stood their ground yesterday remaining adamant that the game would be played in East London. The PSL’s website also says the game will take place at East London.
In December last year, Chippa announced that the Bucs game would be taken to East London as part of an agreement to spread the team brand around the Eastern Cape.
But Mpengesi said after meetings with NMBM officials said the game would now be held in Port Elizabeth. NMB Stadium operators Access Management also confirmed the fixture for the Bay.
Mpengesi said the municipality in the Bay did not agree with moving the games against Ajax Cape Town and Jomo Cosmos to East London which resulted in a claim that they breached their contract.
“The municipality felt there was no proper consultation, you know. That has been resolved and going forward we are not going to have any issues.
“They said we didn’t follow the right channels, but it is now resolved. As a result, we are playing Baroka at Buffalo City in the Nedbank Cup on Sunday.
“The only thing is we can’t take the big games to East London, but we can take away the games that are considered to be making a loss in a big stadium like Nelson Mandela Bay. We can’t take Sundowns, Chiefs or Pirates to Buffalo,” Mpengesi explained.
Access Management chief executive Chantal du Pisani confirmed the Pirates fixture but said she could not comment on Chippa’s remaining league fixtures.
However, Buffalo City municipality says they are sticking to the original deal.
The BCM local organising committee chairman Sthembiso Khanyile, who had a meeting with the security cluster at the Buffalo City Stadium yesterday, said the municipality was ready to host Chippa’s PSL games against Maritzburg United, Golden Arrows and Orlando Pirates.
“As far as we are concerned, nothing has changed,” he said.
Khanyile was contradicted by PSL’s Luxolo September with regards to the league matches.
September said the Chilli Boys had applied to the league to change the venue of two matches.
“I can confirm that two Chippa United home matches have been moved from East London to Port Elizabeth, that is a fact,” he added.
“It is the home club that has the right to the application to change the venue and Chippa did just that and it was granted.”
Chippa leave EL in lurch
The fixture has been the subject of a tug-of-war battle between Buffalo City and the Nelson Mandela Bay municipalities.
However, Buffalo City Municipality stood their ground yesterday remaining adamant that the game would be played in East London. The PSL’s website also says the game will take place at East London.
In December last year, Chippa announced that the Bucs game would be taken to East London as part of an agreement to spread the team brand around the Eastern Cape.
But Mpengesi said after meetings with NMBM officials said the game would now be held in Port Elizabeth. NMB Stadium operators Access Management also confirmed the fixture for the Bay.
Mpengesi said the municipality in the Bay did not agree with moving the games against Ajax Cape Town and Jomo Cosmos to East London which resulted in a claim that they breached their contract.
“The municipality felt there was no proper consultation, you know. That has been resolved and going forward we are not going to have any issues.
“They said we didn’t follow the right channels, but it is now resolved. As a result, we are playing Baroka at Buffalo City in the Nedbank Cup on Sunday.
“The only thing is we can’t take the big games to East London, but we can take away the games that are considered to be making a loss in a big stadium like Nelson Mandela Bay. We can’t take Sundowns, Chiefs or Pirates to Buffalo,” Mpengesi explained.
Access Management chief executive Chantal du Pisani confirmed the Pirates fixture but said she could not comment on Chippa’s remaining league fixtures.
However, Buffalo City municipality says they are sticking to the original deal.
The BCM local organising committee chairman Sthembiso Khanyile, who had a meeting with the security cluster at the Buffalo City Stadium yesterday, said the municipality was ready to host Chippa’s PSL games against Maritzburg United, Golden Arrows and Orlando Pirates.
“As far as we are concerned, nothing has changed,” he said.
Khanyile was contradicted by PSL’s Luxolo September with regards to the league matches.
September said the Chilli Boys had applied to the league to change the venue of two matches.
“I can confirm that two Chippa United home matches have been moved from East London to Port Elizabeth, that is a fact,” he added.
“It is the home club that has the right to the application to change the venue and Chippa did just that and it was granted.”
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