Vodacom Challenge ticket fever is set to take South Africa’s soccer-mad nation by storm from 1 June 2006 when soccer fans from all communities, join the rush to Computicket outlets throughout the country, to book their seats for the spectacular tournament that will involve English Premiership glamour club Manchester United, and PSL giants in defending champions Orlando Pirates and three-time title winners Kaizer Chiefs.

The 2006 Vodacom Challenge is expected to galvanise the passion of the Beautiful Game among all soccer supporters in the country, with local and international fans of the ‘Red Devils’ (Manchester United), as well as the loyal supporters of the ‘Bhakaniya’ (Orlando Pirates), and the ‘Mighty Amakhosi’ (Kaizer Chiefs) set to turn the stadiums into colourful arenas, as the tournament leads the way in showcasing our soccer organisational abilities to the world, as part of the build up to the hosting of the FIFA 2010 World Cup on Rainbow Nation soil.

The new-format Vodacom Challenge is part of a 5-year-plan to match SA’s top soccer talent against the top clubs on the global soccer scene, which promises to elevate the Vodacom Challenge to an international level.

The Vodacom Challenge organisers have ensured that match tickets will be economically priced to reward the loyal soccer fans, whose passionate support has made South African soccer the popular sport that it is today. 40% of the tickets for matches involving Manchester United and 100% of the tickets for the Pirates vs Chiefs derby will be on sale at just R55 each.

Whether you are a corporate wanting to entertain clients or a student wishing to share in the Vodacom Challenge experience, the tournament organisers have put a multiple ticket price structure in place that will appeal to our diverse soccer market.

Tickets will be sold according to a reserved seating plan as the Vodacom Challenge embarks on an education drive to prepare soccer fans for the manner in which ticket-related logistics will be handled for the FIFA 2010 World Cup. For the match between Orlando Pirates and Kaizer Chiefs supporters will purchase tickets for demarcated blocks, whilst for the other tournament fixtures the ticket purchased will correspond with a seat in the stadium. With tickets on sale from 1 June, supporters are encouraged to get to Computicket early to secure the best seats and are reminded that no tickets will be sold at the stadia.

The ABSA Stadium in Durban is expected to be jam-packed with soccer fans when Manchester United, winners of 15 League Championship titles and 11 FA Cup titles, as well as the European Cup in 1968 and the European Champions League in 1999, open their Vodacom Challenge campaign with a match against defending champions Orlando Pirates (the 1995 African Champions Cup winners and 1996 African Super Cup champions) on Saturday 15 July, before the visitors face 2003/2004 and 2004/2005 PSL champions Kaizer Chiefs at the Newlands Stadium in Cape Town on Tuesday, 18 July

All roads lead to the Royal Bafokeng Sports Palace near Rustenburg on Thursday, 20 July 2006, with the latest edition of a Vodacom Challenge derby involving Vodacom-sponsored clubs Orlando Pirates and Kaizer Chiefs playing against each other in a repeat of last year’s final.

The winning team from the Rustenburg fixture will face Manchester United in the Vodacom Challenge final, which is expected to be played in front of a capacity crowd at Loftus Versfeld in Pretoria on Saturday, 22 July.

Match tickets will be on sale at the all inclusive price of R350 each (West/Main Pavilion), R170 each (North and South Pavilion) and R55 each (East Pavilion), with the exception of the final in Pretoria where the East Pavilion tickets will be sold at R55 and R110 per ticket.

All tickets for the Vodacom Challenge fixture in Rustenburg will be on sale at R55 per ticket.

“Bringing a team of the calibre of Manchester United to South Africa to take on Vodacom-sponsored clubs Orlando Pirates and Kaizer Chiefs is a big-time business initiative for soccer in this country, particularly in the build up to the FIFA 2010 World Cup. I believe that our organising team have done their homework superbly in order to keep as many tickets as possible in the R55 price range making the matches accessible to the South African soccer faithful,” said SAIL MD Brand de Villiers.

“Man U is a major draw card in the global soccer fraternity and I can only but encourage soccer fans to buy their tickets at Computicket well in advance of the matches in order to avoid disappointment as the clashes involving Pirates, Chiefs and Man U are certain to be played in front of capacity crowds.”