Man U, Soweto giants to clash
Lucky Sindane
2 May 2006
English premiership giants Manchester United could learn a thing or two about African flair when they take on Soweto's soccer giants, Kaizer Chiefs and Orlando Pirates, in the 2006 Vodacom Challenge.
The off-season tournament, which breaks away from the tradition of featuring two African clubs against the local teams, will be spread across four provinces.
The tournament will still comprise four matches. Manchester United will play each of the local teams, who will then take each other on in a match that will decide who faces Manchester United in the final.
In the first match, Pirates will take on Manchester United at Absa Stadium in Durban on 15 July. This will be followed by the clash between Chiefs and Man U at Newlands Stadium in Cape Town on 18 July.
The Chiefs-Pirates match will be played at the Royal Bafokeng Sports Palace in Rustenburg, North West province on 20 July, with the final taking place at Loftus Versveld Stadium in
Pretoria on Saturday 22 July.
United to bring 'best available squad'
Manchester United director Bobby Charlton has allayed concerns that United might bring a weak squad because of the 2006 World Cup in Germany. "I know Sir Alex Ferguson - whenever he puts a squad together, he selects a winning team," Charlton said. "I have no doubt that he will select a strong squad.
"We are confident that the Vodacom Challenge will see many familiar faces, including Ryan Giggs, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and Paul Scholes," Charlton added. "After the soccer world cup squad announcements on 22 May, we will be able to confirm the best available first team that will be touring South Africa.
"We were fortunate enough to experience South Africa's fervent soccer following and great hospitality when we were here in 2003. This time we look forward to matching our skills against the local teams and to drawing our own supporters to the games as well."
2010 showcase
"The Vodacom Challenge gives us a unique opportunity to showcase what we have to offer as a province and as a country," Gauteng Premier Mbhazima Shilowa said at the launch of the tournament.
"It allows us to signal to South Africans and the world that we are ready to host soccer's biggest showpiece and to showcase abroad the love and passion that our people have for the beautiful game."
Orlando Pirates chairman Irvin Khoza said that with South Africa gearing up to host the 2010 Fifa Football World Cup in the name of Africa, it was "time for the players of South Africa's leading clubs ... to show the world that they have the necessary skills, discipline and passion to be rated among the top clubs in the world."
His Kaizer Chiefs counterpart, Kaizer Motaung, said the tournament offered "the perfect opportunity for South Africa's up-and-coming soccer talent to come to the fore against an international club of the magnitude of
Manchester United."
Ticket pricing will be finalised in the next few weeks, and tickets will be available from Computicket from 1 June.
Source: City of Johannesburg
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