INLSA
Two-year-old Nkanyezi Mazibuko may not be quite ready to fill a team jersey and set of boots just yet, but the young fan will be ardently supporting Bafana tomorrow. Picture: Shelley Kjonstad
Kevin Lancaster
Bafana fans have faith in a victory against Mali in their Afcon clash tomorrow and are buying tickets for next week’s semi-final in anticipation of the win.
EQ Tickets confirmed yesterday that more than 30 000 seats had been booked for the match at the Moses Mabhida Stadium on Wednesday, with supporters continuing to buy throughout the day.
Tomorrow evening’s quarter-final (kick-off 8.30pm) has been sold out since Tuesday, with 56 000 vuvuzela-blowing fans expected.
“The interest and passion for this game has been outstanding… ticket enquiries (for Saturday) have been non-stop despite it being sold out,” said Vusi Mazibuko, head of the Afcon project office in Durban.
“Every supporter must come in their (Bafana) jersey and paint the stadium yellow. The teams must hear a noise like they have never heard before,” he said.
He added that the municipality had never been “this excited” about an event, and confirmed that all preparations were complete, including those with the metro police and the SAPS.
Road closures would be carried out, and he thanked Durban people for their co-operation with authorities, and their continued support for the national team.
“It has shown that Durban is the destination for sport, and that KZN is the home of Bafana,” Mazibuko said.
Metro police spokesman Eugene Msomi said 500 officers would be on duty. “The only difference is that the plastic blocks (used to close roads) will be replaced with concrete ones,” he said, as the lighter versions were being moved by people intending to enter cordoned-off areas.
For those who would not be at the game tomorrow evening, there was still an opportunity to feel some crowd spirit, Mazibuko said.
There would be four public viewing areas screening the match: at New Beach in Durban, eSikhawini College in Esikhawini, eGamalakhe TB Molefe Sports Ground in Port Shepstone, and Indumiso College in Pietermaritzburg.
Weather SA has predicted sunny skies during the day and only a 30 percent chance of rain for the evening.
