Bloemfontein’s Dr RP Molemela Stadium will host the first Betway Premier Soccer League fixture between the Marumo Gallants and TS Galaxy tomorrow – Saturday, 26 October. The stadium was given the green light following final inspection by Prof. Ronnie Schloss, chief operating officer (COO) of the Premier Soccer League (PSL).
The inspection was done on Wednesday, 23 October, and Sello Nduna, spokesperson of Marumo, said the stadium had all the boxes ticked following improvements made to the metal cladding at either ends of the gates, the fixing of the fence, testing of floodlights, repair of public toilets, and the repair of roof sheeting to concession.
“The club will play 97% of the homes matches at the stadium, except category “A” games featuring Orlando Pirates and Mamelodi Sundowns, as well as Kaizer Chiefs. The league and cup competition matches classified as category “A” will be played at the Toyota Stadium,” said Nduna. The matches fall under this category because of the large supportive crowds these three clubs enjoy.
The stadium is registered as the second venue by the Marumo Gallants to host all home league fixtures, including competitions. Tomorrow’s challenging encounter will be the first top-flight match at this iconic 22 000-seater facility, which was mainly used by teams campaigning in the second-tier ABC Motsepe League.
Nduna said the Bahlabane ba Ntwa aim to keep the winning momentum that saw them win two matches (1 – 0 against AmaZulu in a league match, and 3 – 2 against Polokwane City in the Carling Black Label Cup) a week ago. “We have an injury-free squad from which the coach, Dan Malesela, will select players to compete to win the game,” he said.
The touring Galaxy remain at the bottom of the log table, without a win and with zero points, together with AmaZulu. A draw in tomorrow’s game will be acceptable for the Gallants, as opposed to a loss. The local lads have lost three league matches and they are equally pressured to improve their position on the log to avoid the dreaded relegation at the end of the season.
The match is set to kick off at 15:00. Tickets are available at Ticketpro outlets and retailers. Entry costs R40 for the open stand and R50 for the grandstand.
