The Absa Premiership’s Soweto derby between Orlando Pirates and Kaizer Chiefs at the FNB Stadium on Saturday is a sold out affair.
Stadium Management has warned people with fake tickets and those without tickets not to even approach the FNB precinct.
Pirates and Chiefs face off in the second leg of the 2017/2018 season and supporters are once again urged to arrive at the stadium early.
Stadium management has thoroughly investigated the causes of crowd violence and stampedes especially on days of derbies.
Those who enter the precincts without tickets or try and purchase illegal tickets from syndicates, often pay with their lives or are severely injured.
Stadium Manager, Jacques Grobbelaar says, “We have realised that in Durban, one of the computickets staff’s car was stolen with the Computickets stock inside the car. The car was found later abandoned in city centre Durban. So we are really dealing with a syndicate.”
Even the security features of the match tickets had to be changed and upgraded.
“It is red at the back and it has got a barcode and it is wider that the old computicket; so that the old printers can’t print this,” adds Grobbelaar.
As far as the two teams are concerned, mind games are the order of the day ahead of the derby.
Bucs, who are second on the log and just seven points behind Mamelodi Sundowns, says the Premiership title isn’t their main focus.
Pirates veteran defender Happy Jele says, “It’s going to be an exciting game. Both teams are doing well, but for us it’s just to get the results so that we continue with our consistency in the team”
Meanwhile, Chiefs defender Ramahlwe Mphahlele says, “Happy lied because they are number two and says they are not thinking about the league then I don’t know what are you thinking about obviously if you are number two then you start thinking about the league it’s the same with us we are one point behind Orlando Pirates so we are fine”
The derby has significance this season with both teams in contention for league honours. The match kick-off is at 15:15 afternoon.
