THE decision by the City of uMhlathuze to refurbish the stadium at the uMhlathuze Central Sports Complex has paid huge dividends.

That is the undisputable view of uMhlathuze City Mayor Xolani Ngwezi, who praised Richards Bay FC owner Jomo Biyela and his club for hosting their home games with distinction during the Betway Premiership season that ended on Saturday.

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The Natal Rich Boyz (NRB) were unbeaten in all but one of their home fixtures this season, in the process taking points off the giants of SA football, namely Pirates, Chiefs and Sundowns.

Huge matches were hosted at the packed-out stadium without any reported incidents.

“The decision by the city to invest millions of rands in the state-of-the-art stadium is now bearing fruit.

“We thank Mr Biyela for his pursuit of excellence and believing in his vision to make this football club a force to be reckoned with,” Cllr Ngwezi said in a statement issued over the weekend.

“We are extremely proud of how all KZN-based teams have performed this season, and we also wish Milford FC the best of luck as they attempt to secure their spot in the PSL for next season.

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“We urge the Stallions to consider using our stadium as their home ground going forward.”

Mayor Ngwezi also congratulated Orlando Pirates on winning the league and said the four KZN clubs had done the province proud.

Richards Bay FC ended their season on a low-key note, playing a youthful side to allow U23 players to gain experience, and going down 0-1 to Magesi FC on Saturday.

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