Posted in News on Aug 25, 2007.
In its 99th year of existence almost seventeen years in 1990 ago the stadium underwent a major face lift, particularly focussing on being one of the principal venues for the 1995 IRB Rugby World Cup which South Africa hosted. Those changes made the ABSA Stadium as it is know today for sponsorship reasons, one of the premier sporting venues in the country with state of the art public seating areas as well as excellent hospitality facilities and a highly sophisticated and advanced media broad cast centre.
The various renovations done to the stadium in the 1990’s helped increase its capacity to 52 000, the ABSA Stadium was widely tipped to be one of the stadiums that was to host matches during the 2010 FIFA World Cup. That was until the Durban City Council approved a multi Billion rand 70 000 seater stadium just across the road from the ABSA Stadium, on the site of the old Kings Park Soccer Stadium which will in the future be called the Moses Madibha Stadium.
Recent Success
One would have to go back almost three years to find the last time that Chiefs lost a game at the ABSA Stadium, The Amakhosi have in recent seasons enjoyed a number of success in official league and cup games at the venue.
Although Chiefs have lost two pre-season friendly matches in the Vodacom Challenge against Orlando Pirates in 2005 and Tottenham Hotspurs in July this year both games were played at the ABSA Stadium, they are unbeaten in their last five official league and cup games that they have played at the venue.
In September 2005 Chiefs recorded their first ever away win over Golden Arrows when they cruised to a 3-1 win over the home team at the ABSA Stadium, Chiefs striker Mabhudi Khenyeza was on target for Arrows that evening.
On the final day of the same 2005 – 2006 season Chiefs broke a five season duck when they defeated their arch rivals Orlando Pirates in a penalty shoot out to become the South African Cup Champions, as they lifted the 2005 – 2006 ABSA Cup trophy.
Last season Chiefs played three games at the ABSA Stadium, the team’s first game at the ABSA Stadium during the 2006 – 2007 was a morale boosting 2-1 win over Soweto neighbours Moroka Swallows in a tightly contested SAA Supa8 semi final match.
They followed that up by defeating SuperSport United in the SAA Supa8 Final in October 2006, to avenge their loss to Super Sport in the 2004 - 2005 SAA8 Supa Final which was incidentally the last time Chiefs lost a game an official match at the ABSA Stadium.
The Amakhosi’s most comprehensive victory at the ABSA Stadium in recent months came in March this year when Kaizer Motaung Junior netted what was his second hat trick of last season, as Chiefs were rampant in a 4-0 win over Bloemfontein Celtic.
With The ABSA Stadium being a kind of good luck charm for The Amakhosi, Muhsin Ertugral will be hoping for more good fortune against Cosmos on Saturday and will be looking for his team to continue with their recent success at the stadium.
