Posted in News on Jul 13, 2006.
Whatever tiredness they had soon disappeared as they entered the airport through the international arrivals terminal, a move which proved to be a master stroke by the Vodacom Challenge organizers.
As it created space for the hordes of Chiefs fans who turned up to greet the team upon their arrival in the mother city.
The supporters were representing various Kaizer Chiefs supporters club branches in and around the Cape Town area, the sight of hundreds of fans greeting the team at the airport brought smiles to the players f aces and many players duly obliged and posed for pictures with supporters who broke out into song and dance as the team appeared from the terminal.
As the supporters sang songs warning Manchester United about the might of Amakhosi, Coach Ernst Middendorp greeted supporters and said “arriving after a tiresome journey like the one we just had to such a rousing reception is just wonderful”.
A number of the Chiefs players were also taken aback by the number of supporters who were waiting for them at the airport goalkeeper Rowen Fernandez added “if the reception at the airport reflects the kind of support we will have at the stadium on Tuesday night, all I can say is Manchester United beware”.
Once the players had passed through the supporters, they boarded a bus amidst a heavy police presence and made for their base outside Cape Town where they will be preparing to face Manchester United in their opening Vodacom Challenge encounter next Tuesday.
Chiefs opponents next Tuesday, 15 times English League Champions Manchester United, will jet into South Africa on Friday morning and will head straight to Durban from Johannesburg where they will face Orlando Pirates in the Opening game of the 2006 Vodacom Challenge.
Although Manchester United’s full squad is expected to arrive in the country on Friday the Red Devils coach Sir Alex Ferguson was seen at Johannesburg International Airport on Thursday morning.
