Soccer boss Siviwe “Chippa” Mpengesi said preparations were under way to upgrade and tighten security at the Buffalo City Stadium ahead of the Chippa United vs Kaizer Chiefs clash.
The April 6 match is expected to draw thousands of supporters to the East London stadium.
However, security and crowd management concerns arose in February during the DStv Premiership match between Chippa and Cape Town City.
The gates were opened late, resulting in impatient fans trying to force their way into the stadium before kickoff.
Soccer officials eventually decided to open entrances to allow supporters in and avoid any further delays and frustration.
With one of the country’s biggest teams playing in East London, and an even bigger turnout expected, plans are now reportedly under way to ensure Buffalo City Stadium is ready to host an incident-free match.
Mpengesi, speaking at a press briefing, said: “Security and orderliness will be paramount on match day.
“We urge all attendees to behave respectfully and follow guidelines set forth for a safe and enjoyable experience.
“Any form of hooliganism will not be tolerated, ensuring a festive and family-friendly atmosphere.”
Mpengesi said hosting Cape Town City was a “trial run”.
“We saw the mistakes we made, and we will improve from those mistakes.
“During that game, the gates were opened very late.”
Mpengesi said he had been advised to hire a private security company to prioritise the safety of attendees.
Tickets went on sale on Friday, with general admission R100, and VIP access R500.
Asked about talks that the Kaizer Chiefs game might move to Nelson Mandela Bay, Mpengesi said East London would host the match.
The Buffalo City Stadium has also been at the centre of clashes between Mpengesi and Safa Buffalo City, with the football federation calling for the lease to be terminated by BCM and for Chippa Holdings to vacate the facilities.
The demands also included allowing Safa BCM to occupy its offices at the stadium again.
Mpengesi said he had met BCM mayor Princess Faku and engaged on the issues put forward by Safa BCM.
“We have agreed with the mayor, in principle, to make provision for ... Safa BCM to use the office space in the stadium and how CTA [Chippa Training Academy] can sponsor their rent during this period.
“This initiative underscores our commitment to fostering a spirit of co-operation and football development within the Eastern Cape’s football community.”
Safa BCM secretary and spokesperson Zolani Ngesman said they would accept the offer of office space for the association “as that was one of the demands we had on the list”.
“At this stage we do not know how long CTA will be paying for our rent, and we have not yet met up with Mpengesi to discuss logistics with him.”
He said they had found out about the offer on social media platforms.
“We would have accepted correspondence directed to us telling us about the offer, or maybe for Mpengesi to propose a meeting with us.
“We are still waiting for him to respond to our memorandum that we handed over on [March 2].”
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