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Cape Town - Maritzburg United coach Fadlu Davids has expressed his disappointment with the decision by Royal Eagles to contest their Nedbank Cup last-16 game in Durban.
The two teams share the Harry Gwala Stadium in Pietermaritzburg but as it is Eagles' home game they decided to move the match to the Princess Magogo Stadium in KwaMashu.
"It’s like Inter Milan and AC Milan taking their game to, I don’t know, Rome. It doesn’t make sense for the fans. Yes they want the advantage, that’s okay, but like I said before, I would rather lose 4-3 at Harry Gwala and give the fans an entertaining match, than win 5-0 in Durban," a frustrated Davids told Maritzburg United's official club website.
It seems a bizarre decision with both teams enjoying good support in KZN’s capital city.
"It’s about the fans having the derby to watch in their own backyard. But now it’s not a derby because we are playing in Durban. Okay Eagles might be a Durban-based team, but they play their matches at Harry Gwala. But we must continue with the fixture," Davids said.
Eagles have struggled this season and are in 11th position on the National First Division table.
Davids says they are not taking Eagles’ poor campaign into account as lower division teams generally punch above their weight in the Nedbank Cup.
"It is difficult, teams coming from the NFD, they up their game, they go all out and play above themselves.
"Roger Sikhakhane has come in as a coach and we definitely in for a tough game. He’s transformed them. We see them every week here at Harry Gwala, they are a transformed team under the new coach," Davids concluded.
