POLOKWANE – Football lovers can look forward to a day of fun and excitement when Bafana Bafana welcome Lesotho to the Peter Mokaba Sports Complex for the 2026 Fifa World Cup qualifier on March 21.
This comes after extensive renovations amounting to R836 000 had to be done to the facilities after it had been damaged during the Makhadzi One Woman Show that was hosted in December.
The stadium’s pitch comprises winter ryegrass, a premium turf that requires meticulous care and maintenance, making it particularly vulnerable to damage when proper precautions are not observed.
An assessment conducted by the municipality concluded that the pitch requires overall refurbishment to restore it to a condition suitable for professional use and three PSL soccer matches were relocated to the Peter Mokaba Stadium due to the pitch’s unavailability.
The municipality and the organisers of the event agreed that the costs will be shared on a 50/50 basis, and according to municipal spokesperson Thipa Selala, “the pitch is now ready to host professional football matches. The renovations covered the removal of the old pitch, scarification of old and dead grass, hollow tinning, levelling, addition of silica sand, seeding, irrigation, and fertilisation,” Selala said and added that the stadium itself remains in good condition, only the pitch required refurbishing.
“The refurbishment ensures that we meet top professional football standards for both PSL and international matches and remains a premier venue for local and international sporting events, showcasing Polokwane’s commitment to sports excellence,” he said.
Selala said that the event presents immense economic opportunities, boosting local businesses, hospitality and tourism and once clearance is received from PSL, professional football matches can resume immediately.
The municipality will provide key services, including security, traffic management and emergency medical support, ensuring a successful and safe event.
“Our commitment is to provide a world-class playing surface that meets all professional football standards and we urge residents to come out in numbers and support our national team, make history, and show the world that Polokwane is a premier sporting destination,” Selala concluded.
The last time this 2010 World Cup arena hosted an international fixture was on November 10, 2017, when Bafana hosted Senegal for the 2018 World Cup that was staged in Russia.
Built as a 2010 Fifa World Cup project, this state-of-the-art venue hosted titanic clashes, including France vs Mexico, Greece vs Argentina, Algeria vs Slovenia and Paraguay vs New Zealand.
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