Orlando Pirates media officer Thandi Merafe has confirmed the Buccaneers moved Saturday’s CAF Champions League semi-final first leg to FNB Stadium due to a church service at Orlando Stadium.
Jose Riveiro’s men, who are the only unbeaten side in the competition, will host the Egyptian giants in the first leg of the semi-final on Saturday at 18:00.
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Some fans were surprised by the news that the game would take place at FNB Stadium and some sensational reports had claimed it’s due to the on-pitch clashes after Pirates’ home match with MC Alger, which resulted in the Buccaneers receiving a R1.3 million ($70 000) fine from CAF.
However, Merafe has come out to rubbish those claims, saying it’s due to annual church services at Orlando Stadium over the Easter weekend.
“No, of course, there is nothing untoward that’s going on,” Merafe told Thabiso Mosia on Game On.
“This has always happened at Orlando Stadium. From the word go, from the time we’ve become the resident team at Orlando Stadium, the chairman has always made it clear that if there is any plans for church activity, we’ll much respect that it’s a big Christian weekend, it’s a holy weekend for us.
“It’s Easter and of course people will want to congregate and go to church, and we’d never stand in the way of that, because we respect every culture, every religion. We don’t get involved in such things.
“All we can do as a club is to say there is a request for a church service and of course we’ll respect that – there is nothing bad or terrible about it. We are happy to go to FNB Stadium and honour our fixture there.
“There has been fixtures in the past which we’ve moved to FNB Stadium to honour the church service at our stadium, there is nothing untoward and there is no reason to speculate.
“It’s just a holy weekend, and Orlando Pirates Football Club will respect that.”
The match against Pyramids at FNB Stadium will kick off at 18:00 on Saturday.
