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Nelson Mandela Bay's local football club, Chippa United, has withdrawn from the inaugural Home of Legends Cup tournament, which was supposed to celebrate the club's 10-year relationship with the stadium.
In a statement on Tuesday, the Mandela Bay Development Agency (MBDA) said that Chippa United will be replaced by previous MTN 8 Cup winners, Cape Town City.
This one-day tournament, set to take place on November 16th at Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium, will feature Betway Premiership giants Kaizer Chiefs and Mamelodi Sundowns, as well as Lamontville Golden Arrow and Cape Town City.
The MBDA says in the same statement that Chippa's withdrawal is "due to unforeseen circumstances".
However, the Club said in a responding statement that the reasons for their withdrawal were due to MBDA Chief Executive Officer Anele Qaba's lack of transparency.
"One of our primary concerns is the unequal treatment in the distribution of funds and resources for this event. While the other teams are offered compensation for participation, Chippa United was not offered the same participation fee. How are we expected to motivate our players when we cannot guarantee them bonuses from this tournament," says Executive Director for Chippa United, Lukhanyo Mzizi.
He also said their efforts to address these concerns with Qaba were dismissed, and he suggested they withdraw if they were not happy with the terms.
Mzizi says they wish all the teams participating all the best as they will now shift their focus to securing a spot in the top 8 in the league.
They are meant to take on SuperSport United on November 26th, and the venue will be confirmed soon.
The fixtures for the day are as follows:
1. Semi-Final 1-Kaizer Chiefs Football Club vs. Lamontville Golden Arrows Football Club
Kick-off - 10:00
2. Semi-Final 2- (Chippa United Football Club, to now be replaced) Cape Town City Football Club vs Mamelodi Sundowns Football Club
Kick-off -13:00
3. Semi-Final 1 (Winner) vs. Semi-Final 2 (Winner) Grand Home of Legends Cup Final
Kick-off -17:00
