Safe, secure and incident-free! These are the key words in the minds of the 2006 Vodacom Challenge organising team, with the exciting new-look tournament format to be held in SA in July, involving Vodacom-sponsored PSL sides Orlando Pirates and Kaizer Chiefs, and English Premiership giants Manchester United, set to generate major attention both locally and internationally.

The 2006 Vodacom Challenge will mark the start of SA’s build up to hosting the FIFA 2010 World Cup, and a comprehensive safety and security plan will be enforced to ensure that soccer supporters from all communities will be able to watch their Orlando Pirates, Kaizer Chiefs and Manchester United heroes in action, in a safe people-friendly environment.

“Getting to the stadium as early as possible is a key element towards eliminating congestion at the entrance gate points,” said SAIL MD Brand de Villiers.

“Food and soft-drinks will not be allowed to be carried into the stadia, but instead a wide range catering for all tastes will be on sale inside the venues. Alcohol will not be permitted to be taken into the stadia, nor will it be on sale at the venues on match day,” he added.

De Villiers stated that the 2006 Vodacom Challenge is the perfect platform for South Africa’s soccer fans to showcase their love of the Beautiful Game to the soccer world and the hosting of an incident free tournament will go a long way to assuring FIFA that they made the right decision in awarding the 2010 FIFA World Cup hosting rights to South Africa.

“There will be ample state and private sector security personnel on duty both inside and outside of the stadia on the match days to ensure that the 2006 Vodacom Challenge tournament will be a safe sporting spectacular for all concerned,” said De Villiers.

“An internationally benchmarked, intergrated major event risk management strategy will be rolled-out for the events,” stated Patrick Ronan, SAIL’s Risk Management Consultant and former Safety and Security Advisor to the 2010 Bid Company.

“The strategy will be delivered by a joint, multi-disciplined safety and security directorate incorporating the SAPS, SAFA, PSL, SAIL and other key safety stakeholders.”

Match tickets will be on sale at Computicket outlets nationwide from 1 June 2006 at the all inclusive price of R55 each for the East Pavilion, with the exception of the final in Pretoria where the Upper East Pavilion tickets will be sold at R55 per ticket and the Lower East Pavilion tickets on sale at R110 each.

Further tickets at R350 each (West/Main Pavilion) and R170 each (North and South Pavilion) will also be on sale. All tickets for the Vodacom Challenge fixture in Rustenburg will be on sale at R55 per ticket.