19 December 2017 – The match between South African Legends and their Zimbabwe counterparts has been called off.
The match was scheduled to take place on 23 December at the National Sports Stadium but the Zimbabwe Football Association (ZIFA) sent out news of cancellation of the match which was supposed to be one of the main attractions of the Christmas Challenge match in honor of new Zimbabwe President, Emmerson Dambudzo Mnangagwa.
“The Zimbabwe Football Association regrets to inform all football stakeholders that the proposed Christmas Challenge cup between the senior teams of Zimbabwe and Zambia has been cancelled due to the non-availability of the National Sports Stadium on 23 December,” read part of the letter sent to SAFA on Monday.
The match between the legends of South African football and their counterparts from Zimbabwe was supposed to serve as pre-match entertainment.
The association was advised that the facility is booked for a wedding on the same date; therefore, the friendly match cannot go ahead.
ZIFA says it was concerned by the prioritising of non-sporting events ahead of football matches when it comes to access to the National Sports Stadium.
ZIFA unreservedly apologises to all stakeholders for all inconveniences caused