Logistical failures mar Bafana Bafana's return to DHL Stadium

The City has been called on to “level the playing fields” between soccer and rugby events following complaints from the public when Bafana Bafana graced the DHL Stadium for the first time in nine years.

Bafana Bafana entertained the crowd on Tuesday with a 3-0 win against Sudan after already securing their spot for the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon).

However, the City has come under criticism for alleged logistical shortfalls around the game.

Earlier this week, more than 30 000 tickets were already sold for the match, while moments before kick-off , the stadium was sold out to a crowd of about 50 000 – many of whom had to walk far distances in the absence of MyCiti bus services, which is normally made available for big sporting events in the city.

But the City said their request for further information from the organisers to avail a free shuttle service was declined at the last minute due to budget constraints.

Good Party councillor, Roscoe Palm said: “This issue is about more than transport; it is about fairness, inclusivity, and making Cape Town’s inner city and world-class facilities accessible to everyone. One of the critical challenges faced by many fans was the lack of additional MyCiTi bus services. While the South African Rugby Union (SARU) ensures this vital service for rugby events, soccer fans were left without the same support.

Many had to endure long waits, walk considerable distances, and deal with unnecessary logistical frustrations, dampening the joy of what should have been a memorable evening.

“In Cape Town, we continue to grapple with perceptions about sport and its audiences. Local soccer, often seen as a sport for ‘black’ communities, has not received the same institutional and logistical support as local rugby, which is historically associated with ‘white’ audiences. This disparity is no longer acceptable,” said Palm.

Mayco member for safety and security, JP Smith, said the City had already exhausted the funding allocation for the game after it received a request from the South African Football Association (SAFA) to activate the free MyCiTi shuttle services.

“A request to activate a free MyCiTi Shuttle was received from SAFA Cape Town on November 13. A request for details (including spectator numbers, pick up points and drop off) was sent to the event organiser in order to plan the shuttle service given that the game was during the height of peak hour traffic exiting the city centre. This was important to ensure a shuttle was operational while also not compromising MyCiTi’s regular peak hour operations,” said Smith.

According to Smith, this information was not forthcoming by November 15 when SAFA “declined the deployment of the MyCiTi shuttle citing budget issues”.

“As with many events hosted in the stadium precinct, from rugby, football to concerts, the event organiser is responsible for booking and contributing to costs of the MyCiTi Shuttle.

The City through its Events Department, is able to assist where possible.

For the Bafana Bafana game, the City exhausted the funding allocation for the game and did not have budget to assist with the MyCiTi cost and needed SAFA Cape Town to contribute towards this cost to activate the service successfully,” said Smith. SAFA did not respond to enquiries by deadline.

Cape Times