Kaizer Chiefs football manager Bobby Motaung is pleading with legions of Amakhosi followers to behave in an appropriate manner and refrain from invading the pitch.
“I am begging our supporters not to invade the pitch. I understand the passion and the excitement is overwhelming, but the fines are killing us,” said Motaung.
“I am also glad that our fans are back in big numbers, we love them, we appreciate each and every one of them, but we would rather use the money to buy players. I am worried about these pitch invasions.”
His comments come after Amakhosi were fined R200 000 early in September by the Premier Soccer League’s (PSL) disciplinary committee (DC) following chaos that ensued in their MTN8 quarter-final match against Stellenbosch FC at the Danie Craven Stadium in August.
Though it was not the Soweto giants’ home game, Amakhosi pleaded guilty as charged after their fans, who had packed the small venue to capacity, invaded the pitch when Chiefs scored and when the referee blew the final whistle.
The league’s DC prosecutor Zola Majavu said Amakhosi have been sanctioned with a R200 000 fine, half of which is suspended for two years, unless they repeat the same offence.
Motaung was speaking to SAfm radio sports show host Thabiso Mosia ahead of Chiefs’ outing against Royal AM in the revamped Macufe Cup in Bloemfontein on Sunday.
Macufe Cup was last staged in October 2019 when the now-defunct Bloemfontein Celtic were crowned winners of the tournament.
Royal AM bought Celtic’s PSL status at the start of the 2021/22 season and will make their debut at this year’s event, after it was canned in 2020 and 2021 due to the Covid-19 restrictions on sporting events.
Motaung also backed under-fire coach Arthur Zwane and appealed to supporters to be patient.
“Football is about patience. The Chiefs brand and the badge are very big and the expectations are high. I think the team is on the right track and there just needs to be a bit of consistency from the technical team when it comes to team selection,” he said.
“We can see the difference and things are looking positive, all the players will get their chance and when they do, they must prove that they have what it takes.
“For now, we will not be signing any players and the transfer window is closing on Thursday. But there will be another window opening and we will see if we need to beef up the squad.”
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