Kaizer Chiefs and Polokwane City were reportedly left without proper shower facilities after their 1-1 Betway Premiership draw at the Old Peter Mokaba Stadium, with a major water supply failure disrupting operations at the venue.
The two sides shared the points in front of a full-capacity crowd on Saturday afternoon, but the match was overshadowed by problems with the stadium’s water supply.
According to reports, the venue experienced an extended interruption that affected the dressing rooms as well as areas used by supporters.
Chiefs and Polokwane City affected
The water failure reportedly meant that players from both teams were unable to use the dressing-room shower facilities properly after the match.
The problem was not limited to the football teams, with the interruption also reportedly creating hygiene concerns around the stadium’s public areas.
For professional footballers who have just completed a competitive league fixture, access to functioning dressing-room facilities is a basic requirement, making the incident particularly concerning.
Municipality explains water crisis
The Polokwane Municipality has since confirmed that the stadium was among the areas affected by wider water-supply problems.
Municipality communications manager Thipa Selala said the disruption was linked to ongoing difficulties along the Olifantspoort line, which supplies water to the Old Peter Mokaba Stadium and surrounding areas.
“We can confirm that we had a challenge of water supply during the Saturday match,” Selala said.
He explained that the municipality had been engaging with Lepelle Northern Water in an effort to establish the cause and extent of the disruption.
The municipality subsequently deployed emergency water tankers to the stadium during halftime in an effort to provide temporary relief.
Did the stadium meet PSL requirements?
The incident could now raise questions about the readiness of the Old Peter Mokaba Stadium to host professional matches.
PSL venue regulations require professional match facilities to meet certain standards, including suitable dressing-room and shower facilities with running water.
Home and visiting teams are also expected to have access to appropriate and comparable facilities, while match officials must have their own dressing room and shower arrangements.
That means the water interruption was more than simply an inconvenience for Chiefs and Polokwane City. It could potentially become a stadium compliance issue if the required facilities were not operational during the fixture.
PSL venue standards under scrutiny
The municipality has stressed that the water problem affected a wider area and was not unique to the stadium. It also pointed to the deployment of tankers as an emergency response.
However, the incident has placed renewed attention on the conditions at one of the venues used for top-flight South African football.
The PSL could now face questions over whether the stadium had adequate contingency measures in place and whether the venue met all the necessary match-day requirements.
For Kaizer Chiefs and Polokwane City, the 1-1 draw will ultimately count as another league result. But the unusual conditions surrounding the fixture could continue to make headlines long after the final whistle.
Was the water failure an unavoidable municipal crisis, or should the stadium have had a better contingency plan? Have your say.
