Amazulu vs City
English Premiership giants Manchester City will continue their tour of South Africa in what is likely to be an exciting match when they clash with local giants AmaZulu, in Durban on Thursday.
This will in fact be the third time that the English club have played in Durban - they drew a friendly match against Chatsworth Rangers 1-1 in 1993, and then beat Kaizer Chiefs 1-0 in 2009.
The match falls on the 95th birthday of former state president Nelson Mandela and will serve to bring global awareness to Mandela Day and the ‘67 minutes for Madiba’ campaign.
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For local side, AmaZulu, this will be the second year in a row that they come head-to-head against an English side, following the visit by Manchester United in 2012.
United won that game 1-0, but Usuthu put up a very brave fight.
Thursday’s game will also be played at the same iconic stadium that was constructed for, and played host to the 2010 FIFA World Cup.
In 2010,Durban played host to England’s national team for the duration of their stay in the country, and ironically,Manchester City have KwaZulu-Natal as their home base for the duration of their stay in South Africa.
The team arrived in Durban on Thursday 11 July, flew up to Tshwane for their 2-0 loss to SuperSport United at Loftus Stadium on Sunday, and will have spent more time at ‘home’ than the local team when they meet on Thursday.
The Citizens will hope for an improved result this time round against a new-look AmaZulu side that has been transformed in this transfer window by coach Craig Rosslee.
Players such as striker Sthembiso Ngcobo, who arrived on loan from Kaizer Chiefs, Letladi Madubanya from Bloemfontein Celtic, former Chippa United defender Msekeli Mvalo and the Ghanaian Mohamed Awal Issah are the cornerstones of AmaZulu’s search to become more competitive.
Also new on the books are Bonginkosi Macala, Lunga Zondi and Chris Manoka from Thanda Royal Zulu in the National First Division, and experienced goalkeeper Aubrey Mathibe, last at Moroka Swallows.
Rosslee says he is looking forward to the match and urges Durban football fans to come out in their numbers to honour Nelson Mandela and also to cheer Usuthu on to victory.
“It is obviously going to be a fantastic night for us as we celebrate the 95th birthday of Nelson Mandela and remember all that he has done for this country,” Rosslee says.
“I think it will be a great spectacle for the supporters, with lots of emotion and excitement, and undoubtedly some great football played.
It is an honour to host such world-class players in our country and we relish the thought of taking them on.
” Manchester City are sure to come back from their loss to SuperSport United all-guns-blazing, and with another three days of training under their belt, fans should expect an improved performance against AmaZulu.
The stadium experience for all spectators will include the opportunity to sign Nelson Mandela birthday card, which was launched last week.
The card will be located at the South Entrance of Moses Mabhida Stadium. As the country’s capital of house music, during half time and breaks, the stadium will be rocked to the sounds of the best Durban has to offer.
Tickets for the Nelson Mandela Football Invitational are selling fast and are priced at R95, R250 and R350 at Computicket outlets nationwide. Visit www.computicket.co.za for tickets, and seat allocations per stadium. Hospitality packages are also available at www.warwickhospitality.co.za.
(File Photo: Gallo Images)
-Yana Ivanova