SAFA change warm-up venues

Johannesburg - It was a case of musical chairs for Bafana Bafana whose three World Cup warm-up matches have all been switched to new venues.

Bafana will follow the Blue Bulls and play their international friendly against Bulgaria on Monday night at the Orlando Stadium instead of playing at Soccer City. The kick-off remains at 8.30pm.

In making the announcement South African Football Association CEO Leslie Sedibe also said that Bafana’s friendly against Colombia scheduled for Cape Town’s Green Point Stadium on May 27 was switched to Soccer City the same night at 8.30pm.

The final warm-up game against Denmark originally down to be played at Loftus on June 5 will be played across town at the Atteridgeville Stadium in Pretoria West at 3.30pm the same afternoon.

The Blue Bulls had to move from their Loftus fortress to Soweto’s Orlando Stadium for Saturday’s Super 14 semi-final clash against the Crusaders due to Loftus getting ready for next month’s World Cup finals.

Loftus is one of the official World Cup venues where Bafana will play Uruguay next month in the first stage of the finals during the month long soccer global showpiece.

Bafana’s match against Denmark was moved to give the Loftus ground staff more time to prepare it for June’s showpiece.

Said Sedibe: “Ideally we wanted to play Bulgaria at Soccer City on Sunday May 23. But could not due to the official FIFA rest period between May 17 and May 23. The reason we wanted to move to a Sunday kick-off at Soccer City is because the stadium will be officially handed over to the Local Organising Committee on Monday and as there is lot to be done in this regard and the fact they are staging the Nedbank Cup final there on Saturday we opted to move to Orlando Stadium on Monday.”

Sedibe apologised to fans in Cape Town for moving the Colombia match to Soccer City. He said: “The head coach (Carlos Alberto Parreira) wanted to play at Soccer City before the opening World Cup match there against Mexico (on June 11). We are doing everything to assist the coach and his team so we had to make a tough call and move the Colombia game to Soccer City to make sure we give Bafana every chance of success in the World Cup.”

Sedibe also said that he had been assured by the Orlando Stadium grounds staff that the pitch would be up to international standards despite a top rugby clash between the Bulls and Crusaders played there two days earlier.

Said Sedibe: “It is not ideal but the game must go on.” Sedibe also disclosed that Safa had not been able to secure Croatia, Bolivia and Panama for a fourth friendly penciled in for May 31.

The finalised dates of the friendlies are as follows:

Bafana v Bulgaria on May 24 at Orlando Stadium
Bafana v Columbia on May 27 at Soccer City
Bafana v Denmark on June 5 at Atteridgeville Stadium