Posted in News on May 17, 2011.
The Vodacom Challenge took a break in 2010 due to the FIFA World Cup™, but is now back to deliver world-class football on behalf of a world-class network!
Tottenham Hotspur will be hoping to reclaim the title they won in 2007, their last appearance in the competition, while title holders Kaizer Chiefs will aim for a repeat of their 2009 triumph, when they beat the English side Manchester City 1-0 in the final.
Such has been the quality of the opposition since its inaugural year in 1999 that the Vodacom Challenge is now among the foremost pre-season competitions in the world, having also twice hosted European giants Manchester United in recent years. And the return of Tottenham Hotspur will only add to the legend.
Indeed, the competition is a chance for the best of South Africa to challenge the best of the rest of the footballing world and provides thrilling entertainment for fans across the country.
Tottenham Hotspur, who can boast not only two South African’s within their current squad in Steven Pienaar and Bongani Khumalo, but also the likes of PFA Player of the Year Gareth Bale, as voted for by professional footballers across England, Dutch maestro Rafael van der Vaart, Croatian playmaker Luka Modric, English wing-wizard Aaron Lennon and with the artistry of French defender, William Gallas.
There is a special relationship between Tottenham Hotspur and South Africa and the Club has a long-term partnership with SOS Children’s Villages in South Africa having funded the Tottenham Hotspur House in the SOS Children’s Village in Rustenburg.
This will be the fourth time that Tottenham Hotspur has been to South African shores, having first visited the country in 1963 as holders of the European Cup Winners’ Cup, and then again in 2003 to support South Africa’s bid for the 2010 FIFA World Cup™. After that they made their 2007 appearance at the Vodacom Challenge.
The 2011 tournament will be a huge celebration of football and once more organisers have opted to take the matches around the country.
All four match venues for the 2011 Vodacom Challenge were used during the 2010 FIFA World Cup™ and provide world-class facilities for the players and supporters alike.
The tournament will kick-off at the Peter Mokaba Stadium in Polokwane when Kaizer Chiefs take on Tottenham Hotspur on Saturday, July 16 (15h00 kick off).
It is a fitting place to start, given that in the last edition of the Vodacom Challenge in 2009, Orlando Pirates took on Manchester City at the old Peter Mokaba Stadium, in the shadow of the new venue as it was still being built.
The action then moves on to the Mbombela Stadium in Mbombela on Tuesday, July 19 (20h15 kick off) as Orlando Pirates meet Tottenham Hotspur in a repeat of the 2007 Final that was won 3-0 by the visiting English side.
It is the first time that Mbombela will host a Vodacom Challenge match, a new venue to add to the fantastic arenas that have been used in the past.
The all-important Soweto Derby to determine the finalists to meet Tottenham Hotspur in the tournament will be played at the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium in Port Elizabeth on Thursday, July 21 (20h15 kick off).
This year’s Final will be played at Coca-Cola Park in Johannesburg on Saturday, July 23 (15h00 kick off), where the trophy will be handed to the winning captain to usher in a new champion of this most prestigious of international club competitions.
The match will no doubt be an emotional occasion, coming 10 years on from the tragic events of April 11, 2001, at the then Ellis Park stadium after a stampede during a Soweto Derby between Orlando Pirates and Kaizer Chiefs.
Tickets for the matches go on sale at the end of May and can be purchased through Computicket, Shoprite, Checkers and Checkers Hyper with prices ranging from R50 to R150.
Justin Sampson, the CEO of SAIL, says the Vodacom Challenge is the perfect way to start the 2011/12 domestic season.
“For us to secure a side of the quality of Tottenham Hotspur to take on our own South African giants in Orlando Pirates and Kaizer Chiefs shows the tremendous drawing power of the Vodacom Challenge as a competition, and of South Africa as a footballing destination. The array of attacking talent in the Tottenham Hotspur side means we will be in for highly-entertaining football from some of the elite players on the European scene,” Sampson says.
This year will be the 12th edition of the Vodacom Challenge, sponsored by Vodacom since its inception.
“The Vodacom Challenge is a crucial part of the South African football calendar not just because of the quality of the teams on display, but because it showcases South Africa to the world as a nation with top-class facilities and a sports-mad public. The competitions lives up to our belief that Vodacom engages only with the Best of the Best and we are delighted to once again make the Vodacom Challenge possible in 2011,” says Romeo Kumalo, Vodacom SA: Executive Director: Commercial.
And once again, the Vodacom Challenge will be used to raise funds to help give the gift of sight. With the Vodacom Foundation’s ‘Goals for Miracles’ initiative, R150 000 will be donated each time a goal is scored in regulation time during the tournament to contribute towards free cataract operations for South African citizens battling with their sight.
Aside from Vodacom as title sponsor, there are also a number of partners to the event who have expressed their delight at the return of the competition.
“The year 2010 was a great one for South African football with the successful hosting of the 2010 FIFA World Cup, and the Vodacom Challenge will serve as a continuation of that spirit of unity so true to South Africans and their football. We at PEP, South Africa’s largest single brand retail store, are excited about the return of the competition this year and look forward to seeing our local sides Orlando Pirate and Kaizer Chiefs, take on the might of Tottenham Hotspur, who of course have enjoyed such a wonderful season with a fairytale run in the UEFA Champions League,” said the PEP Marketing Director, Ms Nobesuthu Tom.
Head of SABC Sport, Mr Sizwe Nzimande, says his organisation takes pride in bringing the Vodacom Challenge to the people.
“We are looking forward to bringing the 2011 Vodacom Challenge into the homes of millions of South Africans and take those that cannot be at the stadiums to the heart of the action. Orlando Pirates, Kaizer Chiefs and Tottenham Hotspur will provide world-class entertainment and we as broadcast partners will ensure world-class coverage of the tournament.”
The Gauteng Provincial Government has returned as a partner to the Vodacom Challenge and it is within this sports-crazy province that the final will be played at the magnificent Coca-Cola Park stadium.
“Gauteng prides itself on being the Home of Champions in South Africa with the best facilities in the country and the most passionate fans. We are honoured to host the 2011 Vodacom Challenge final, and wish our very own Orlando Pirates and Kaizer Chiefs the very best in this competition. At the same time we welcome our English Premiership visitors, Tottenham Hotspur, and trust that they will enjoy their stay in our province,” said the Gauteng MEC for Sport, Arts, Culture and Recreation, Mr Lebogang Maile.
As the Vodacom Challenge will be visiting the Mpumalanga province for the first time this year, there will be much more for fans to look forward to besides the football.
“After the success of the 2010 FIFA World Cup and the many visiting teams that we have had playing in our province during the 2010/11 Premier Soccer league season, Mbombela is gaining a reputation as one of the top footballing destinations in the country. With our proximity in neighbouring countries Mozambique and Swaziland, as well as the Kruger National Park, we have much to offer football fans and we look forward to welcoming supporters from Orlando Pirates and Tottenham Hotspur during this year’s Vodacom Challenge,” said Clr Lassy Chiwayo, Executive Mayor: Mbombela Municipality.
Polokwane returns as a host for the 2011 tournament, giving the people of the Limpopo province another chance to showcase their hospitality.
“Our hosting of the opening match of the 2009 Vodacom Challenge was a great success and we are delighted to have the tournament back in our province at our wonderful new Peter Mokaba Stadium in Polokwane. We are a destination that provides a mixture of ancient culture and the great outdoors, and now we have a world-class stadium that is ready to host two great sides in Kaizer Chiefs and Tottenham Hotspur,” said Mr Rob Tooly, CEO: Limpopo Tourism Board.
Getting fans to the stadium for matches in a safe and timely manner is one of the cornerstones of providing a good match day experience and the Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa (PRASA) say they are well equipped to do so.
“PRASA is pleased to be part of such an exciting endeavor. As a passenger rail agency, our focus is in ensuring that we keep South Africans moving and we become the backbone of public transportation, not only to their places or work, but as part of all social activities that brings South Africans together” said Mr Lucky Montana, Group CEO: PRASA.
The Vodacom Challenge was first played in 1999 and for the first seven tournaments featured Chiefs and Pirates against teams from the rest of Africa. But since 2006, the visitors to the competition have been from the English Premiership.
Pirates have won the competition on two previous occasions in 1999 and 2005, while Kaizer Chiefs have five wins to their name in 2000, 2001, 2003, 2006 and 2009 respectively. Of the visiting teams to have triumphed, Democratic Republic of Congo sides St Eloi Lupopo (2002) and AS Vita (2004) have won, as well as Tottenham Hotspur (2007) and Manchester United (2008).
2011 VODACOM CHALLENGE FIXTURES:
Sat, July 16 Kaizer Chiefs v Tottenham Hotspur – Peter Mokaba Stadium, Polokwane (15h00)
Tues, July 19 Orlando Pirates v Tottenham Hotspur – Mbombela Stadium, Mbombela (20h15)
Thu, July 21 Kaizer Chiefs v Orlando Pirates – Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium, Port Elizabeth (20h15)
Sat, July 23 Derby Winner v Tottenham Hotspur – Coca-Cola Park, Johannesburg (15h00)
