Tshwane Mayor backs Spartans to take the MSL T20 title

Expectations are high for the Tshwane Spartans in this year’s Mzansi Super League following a number of high profile signings.

“Tshwane is the home of champions and we regard the Spartans as the champions of our city. Our message to them is to do us proud and maintain the status of Tshwane being the winning capital,” said Tshwane mayor Stevens Mokgalapa.

Mokgalapa welcomed Tshwane Spartans officials, including CEO Dr Jacques Faul, as the city became the first stop on the MSL trophy tour.

Faul presented Mokgalapa with a framed Spartans shirt and said the team would indeed heed his call to maintain the city’s status as a home of champions.

“The mayor has always supported cricket and so we hope to do him proud. ‘This is Tshwane’ is our campaign slogan. They have always been great partners. This is a great city, we’ve got some great players that will represent us this year,” said Faul.

Among the big names who will don the green and red this year are one of its most famous sons, AB de Villiers, who often describes Tshwane as the greatest city in the world.

Lungi Ngidi, Morne Morkel and Lutho Sipamla are among the other top players for the Pretoria franchise

England World Cup winner Tom Curran is the team’s marquee international signing.

READ MORE: SPORTS: Tshwane Spartans retain Pretoria players for MSL

Mokgalapa hoped that the MSL’s global audience would be attracted by some of Tshwane’s many unique tourist offerings and spend more time in the city, before and after attending matches at SuperSport Park, the Spartans’ home ground
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“Tshwane is renowned for its remarkable tourism. We are the only city that has the Union Buildings, Freedom Park and Voortrekker Monument. We are the only city where you can travel 30 minutes away and then you see the Big Five.

“We have many tourist attractions and we want visitors and the sports fans who enjoy cricket, to watch the mighty Spartans but to also visit the tourist attractions in the city,” Mokgalapa said.

Like many others, Mokgalapa was captivated by the attractive gold-plated MSL trophy, which is designed in the shape of a protea flower.

“That trophy, we will turn it into a jacaranda flower – the message to the Spartans is to turn this protea flower into a jacaranda flower,” Mokgalapa joked.

“It’s why we say, the ‘City of Tshwane, igniting excellence’, because we only have the best and the Tshwane Spartans is one of the best,” the mayor said.

“We’ve got to deliver. The mayor has given us the instruction and we cannot ignore it.”

The Spartans start their campaign in the 2019 MSL against the Durban Heat on 9 November. The team’s first home game at SuperSport Park will be against the Nelson Mandela Bay Giants on November 13.

Tickets are on sale now at TicketPro.

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