Soweto – Bafana Bafana superfan “MamaJoy” Chauke is elated to be back at the stadium on Tuesday for the first time in 18 months to watch the national team in their crucial Fifa World Cup qualifier against Ethiopia.
It will be the first time spectators will be allowed inside sports stadiums since the Covid-19 lockdown last March. The national government ruled on Monday that sports matches will be allowed 750 spectators at indoor venues and 2000 fans outdoors.
Chauke is one of the lucky 2000 Bafana Bafana fans that will be in attendance on Tuesday and appealed to all South Africans to get vaccinated in order for the government to allow more fans into the stadiums in future.
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“I’m very excited to be back here. You know that they only wanted 2000 spectators. And I’m happy to be one of them. What I can tell people is that ‘guys lets vaccinate in order to come back to the stadium’. It feels like Christmas for me!,” Chauke said.
“I am very happy. The atmosphere is good. It’s been a long time since I’ve been at the stadium. FNB is like home. And when someone tells you not to go home, you are not happy. Thank you to the Safa president Danny Jordaan for making this day exciting.
“I’m here and I’ll be watching Bafana live after a very long time. Sometimes when I watch the game on tv, it seems as though it’s a repeat and not live. I want to go to Qatar. And for me to go to Qatar, Bafana Bafana must qualify for the World Cup. I think this is a big and important game.”
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Meanwhile, the well-known Kaizer Chiefs and Bafana fan Sadaam Maake wanted to embrace President Cyril Ramaphosa for allowing supporters to return to the stadiums.
“I am back at FNB! I wish I could give the President and Minister a hug because I am where I am supposed to be. That’s why I got vaccinated at the stadium. Because the last time they played here at the Stadium when we (Chiefs) played Pirates I never came.
This is @BafanaBafana's starting lineup for this evening's World Cup against Ethiopia at the FNB Stadium. #FIFAWCQ https://t.co/h0dDH16nO2 pic.twitter.com/awXqzJkHZ7
— IOL Sport (@IOLsport) October 12, 2021
They called me to come to the suite to watch the game as a VIP, but I wanted to watch the game with my brothers. Today we are together. FNB is the best stadium, it is a big stadium, it is where the World Cup and everything happened.
IOL Sport