Facility fiasco leaves Bulldogs searching for match venue in Buffalo City

The Buffalo City municipality facilities fiasco dealt the Border Bulldogs a blow after they were forced to move their SA Cup home game against the SWD Eagles to another venue on Saturday. The match was originally scheduled for Mdantsane’s Sisa Dukashe Stadium, where the Bulldogs were relying on expected home support to spur them to winning ways after losing their opening matchagainst the Griffons in Welkomlast weekend. With the Sisa Dukashe Stadium in the Mdantsane highway taxi rank precinct — which also houses shopping malls — a partisan crowd was expected to fill up the venue and create an intimidating atmosphere for the visiting team.

However, Border Rugby was informed that the venue had been double-booked, forcing the match tobe moved to the Cove Event and Sports Venueon Nahoon Road, which is situated on the outskirts of Mdantsane. While the venue has hosted some sports events, including the police rugby festival, its accessibility is always going to hamper efforts to draw a capacity crowd. Border Rugby president Zuko Badli said the match had now been moved to Hudson Park near Vincent.

He lamented the unavailability of the Sisa Dukashe Stadium despite booking the venue three months in advance. “We booked the Sisa Dukashe Stadium as early as January by submitting the whole itinerary of the Bulldogs and Border Ladies,” he said. “I really do not know what happened but the issue of facilities is affecting us.” Several attempts to get comment from BCM were unsuccessful.

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The municipality has been under attack for its poor handling of facilities exacerbated by the lease agreement it entered into with Chippa United boss Siviwe Mpengesi, who took over management of the Buffalo City Stadium, which previously housed Border Rugby while also serving as the Bulldogs’ home ground. Last week, South African Football Association (Safa) Buffalo City embarked on a march to municipal offices to hand over grievances about its inability to access facilities due to the Mpengesi agreement.

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