Pretoria – Durban is abuzz with anticipation ahead of Bafana Bafana’s 2013 Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) quarter final match against Mali at the Moses Mabhida Stadium.
South Africa will take on Mali on Saturday at 8:30pm.
Sport and Recreation Minister Fikile Mbalula and eThekwini Mayor James Nxumalo will don their Bafana Bafana shirts and take to the streets of Durban today to interact with and encourage members of the public to stand behind the team and carry them to the final stages of the tournament.
Their motorcade will leave from Kings Park Athletics Stadium to Pinetown-Clermont taxi rank. It will then move through various areas of the city and end up at Umlazi Mega City, where there will be prize giveaways and entertainment.
The Bafana Bafana Class of 1996, which includes Helman Mkhalele, Jerry Sikhosana, Phil Masinga, Zane Moosa, Edward Motale and KwaZulu-Natal-based former football stars will be there to encourage and express their pride for the Bafana team.
Other officials from the Department of Sport and Recreation, in partnership with the KwaZulu-Natal Province, eThekwini Municipality, Government Communication and Information System (GCIS), Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa (PRASA) and the South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC), will also participate in the event.
Tickets for the quarter final match have been sold out and soccer-lovers are encouraged to arrive early at the stadium - at least two hours before kick-off - to ensure that they enjoy the beautiful game from beginning to end.
There will be public viewing areas set up in Durban, New Beach; Esikhawini, eSikhawini College; Port Shepstone, eGamalakhe TB Molefe Sports Ground; Pietermaritzburg, Durban University of Technology (Indumiso College), which will be open from 7:30pm.
Government has urged South Africans to support the team by wearing their Bafana jersey on Fridays. – SAnews.gov.za
