Challenges regarding match venues in the Premier Soccer League reached a crescendo when a water outage hit the fixture between Polokwane City and Kaizer Chiefs at the old Peter Mokaba Stadium. The unprecedented outage lasted for the duration of the 1-1 Betway Premiership match, while temperatures soared to nearly 30 degrees Celsius in the Limpopo capital.
Both teams and match officials departed the venue without showering, and some fans directly requested on-field club officials for assistance. Chiefs communications manager Vina Maphosa stated that the team was inconvenienced by the lack of a basic necessity in the dressing room, noting that pre-match preparations were not 100 percent. Water drums were eventually delivered at halftime, but the team had to leave without bathing properly.
Stadium Infrastructure and Management Scrutiny
The episode highlighted issues regarding the poor maintenance of local stadiums 16 years after hosting the Fifa World Cup, with some teams having matches shifted to other venues at the last minute. PSL COO Ronnie Schloss stated that the league was not aware of the issue beforehand and promised to investigate. Mantlako Sebaka, sports manager at the Polokwane municipality, blamed supply lines from the municipality rather than the stadium itself.
Financial Priorities and Pitch Maintenance
Addressing broader venue concerns, Mammilla questioned the economic logic employed by managers who prioritize non-sporting events over football matches. He pointed out that revenue from external organizations often fails to cover repair costs, stating:
You spend R1 million to maintain a pitch in good condition, then take a gig from churches charging R800,000, while the damage they cause costs R1.2 million.
Mammilla added that such short-term focus on cash flow is a recipe for long-term disaster, noting that stadiums in KwaZulu-Natal and Polokwane are often unavailable when needed due to a lack of planning.
