Alex loses out on Diski challenge
ALEXANDRA - The Premier Soccer League has wrestled away its MultiChoice Diski Challenge matches from the Alexandra Stadium because it is simply not up to scratch to host games of that magnitude.
The Premier Soccer League has not consented to hold MultiChoice Diski Challenge matches at the Alexandra Stadium because it is simply not up to scratch to host games of that magnitude.
This was confirmed by the chairperson of the Alexandra Northrand Local Football Association, Maisha Molepo who said the decision was based on an inspection report the league conducted on the stadium in 2012.
Mpumalanga Black Aces Football Club, which has its headquarters in Linksfield, had approached Alex football with a proposal to bring premiership football to the starved folk of eKasi.
Aces had taken note of recent crowd attendances at the stadium during the two-month long Maimane Alfred Phiri Games, and they thought it could be a good idea to bring their Diski team to the township.
This would have been an opportune moment for the club to build its support base while at the same time bringing idiski (township slang for football) of premiership status to the community of Alexandra.
But the idea died in its infancy when the premier league dismissed the proposal because the stadium did not meet its requirements to host the games. “I would like to inform you that the Aces Diski Challenge league matches which were scheduled to be hosted at the [Alexandra] stadium have been called off due to the non-compliance of the stadium as per the league inspection of 2012,” said Molepo.
Molepo is now frantically trying to rally together government and other stakeholders to see what can be done to improve the stadium and bring it in line with the requirements of the premier league.
In 2013, the City of Johannesburg, which owns and administers the stadium, spent R4.5 million on a project intended to uplift the stadium to the standard of the premier league.
This project necessitated the closure of the stadium for a year, but essential work was never done, except for the refurbishment of the stadium’s ablution and office blocks. Work on the stadium, which should have included the leveling of the playing surface and relaying of the grass, construction of a new grandstand and new office blocks was never done.
Details: Maisha Molepo 082 972 0235; ANLFA admin.alexlfa@telkomsa.net
