INLSA
Dressed For Success: All set for tonights Afcon clash at Durbans Moses Mabhida Stadium are Osvaldo Risco, left, supporting Angola, and Themba Matha, supporting Bafana Bafana. The superfans donned their togs yesterday and encouraged soccer supporters to buy their tickets for tonights double-header. Cape Verde meet Morocco in the second match at the stadium.
PICTURE: Jacques Naude
Lungelo Mkamba
BAFANA Bafana’s support in their second Africa Cup of Nations match at the Moses Mabhida Stadium in Durban tonight seems assured, with fewer then 500 tickets available for the soccer team’s crucial clash against Angola.
Yesterday the eThekwini municipality tweeted: “Have you bought your ticket for the game? There are about 500 tickets left – don’t miss out. Walala Wasala! (If you sleep, you will be left behind).”
The national team put in some last-minute preparations yesterday, while the Angolan team, along with their fans, arrived at Durban’s King Shaka International Airport in the morning. Everyone was in high spirits, singing and dancing at the airport, and saying Bafana fans would be in for a surprise today.
The two teams are lodging at neighbouring beachfront hotels, Bafana at the Elangeni, and Angola at the North Beach Hotel, where moments after their arrival huge Angolan flags were hanging from the windows.
Despite the language barrier, Bafana and Angola fans showed great sportsmanship as they wished each other’s teams good luck for tonight’s game.
Angola supporter Osvaldo Risco predicted that his team would win 1-0. “Just because South Africans are our brothers and sisters, we will go easy on you,” he told a Bafana fan. It was his first time in Durban, he said, and he was enjoying his stay. Themba Matha, wearing his Bafana shirt and makarapa (a decorated hat), showed confidence in the national soccer team, despite yesterday’s news that midfielders Kagisho Dikgacoi and Lerato Chabangu were injured and out of play.
South Africa would win by at least two goals, and he would be blowing his vuvuzela in appreciation, he said. “They cannot let us down again.”
Meanwhile, all councillors from the eThekwini municipality have been given two tickets each for tonight’s double-header.
Cape Verde will play Morocco in the second match. The municipality said 1 000 tickets were allocated for councillors and other stakeholders as part of a package deal with Afcon.
Mayor James Nxumalo said everyone had been disappointed in Bafana Bafana’s opening match, but they were hoping that tonight they would live up to expectations.
Roads will be closed around the stadium, including Masabalala Yengwa (NMR) Avenue, from 9am.
The match kicks off at 5pm, with Morocco taking on Cape Verde at 8pm. 8P914
