Premier of Gauteng Panyaza Lesufi described how they moved quickly to have the Nedbank Cup final staged in the province, revealing in passing that they also had a deal with South African Football Association (Safa) to host all Bafana Bafana qualifiers for significant competitions as the province.
The Nedbank Cup final for this year will take place on May 27 at Tshwane’s Loftus Versfeld Stadium, the Premier Soccer League (PSL) said on Tuesday. When SuperSport United and Highlands Park played at Orlando Stadium, Gauteng last hosted a PSL Cup final with a crowd.
Due to Covid-19, the Nedbank Cup final in 2020 between Mamelodi Sundowns and Bloemfontein Celtic was held behind closed doors at the same Soweto location.
Lesufi wants his province to host every major athletic event because he sees them as an excellent economic development instrument.
“Before the first ball of this Nedbank tournament was kicked, we as Gauteng had been lobbying extremely hard,” said Lesufi at the Nedbank Cup press conference on Wednesday.
“We are of the opinion that Gauteng is the home of champions,” he added.