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Pitso Mosimane was so outraged by the state of the field at Dobsonville Stadium a few weeks ago that he called for the Soweto venue to be closed and banned from hosting high-level matches.
But the vociferous call from the former Mamelodi Sundowns manager went unheeded by the Premier Soccer League (PSL) and the field is expected to return to center stage when second-placed Swallows FC host Kaizer Chiefs in a League match. Potentially delicious premiership DStv on Tuesday night.
The rains that have hit Johannesburg in recent days have not helped matters and Swallows coach Brandon Truter admitted that even the home team could have a difficult time adjusting to the field if heavy rains hit the surface.
“Dobsonville field too, it’s not the easiest when it’s wet and it’s raining, so the players will definitely feel it,” he said.
“But hah, it’s our home game and of course we want to get the maximum points on offer, so that’s what we’ll be looking for.
“The bosses are definitely on the rise, they are improving, they want to be at that level and they scored two goals [against Golden Arrows at the weekend].
“So there is definitely a threat. But how we run the game will be the key.”
The nation’s soccer lovers would have flocked to Dobsoville Stadium in droves Tuesday night if Covid-19 hadn’t stepped in and disrupted life as we know it.
The Dobsonville venue would have been abuzz with activity and since the Chiefs followed suit, they would have dominated the stands.
Truter opined that the absence of the fans in the stands has affected visiting AmaKhosi more than any other club in the league, as the crowd of screaming fans serves as their twelfth player.
“That [playing in front of empty stands] has an effect, but we [as Swallows] I’ve handled it well, “he said.
“When the biobubble came and there were no crowds [last season]We were very successful playing without the crowd. So this season continues like this.
“I think it [has] It affected the Chiefs a bit more because they are used to big crowds, crowds are the extra player on the field and push them.
“We could see that in the bubble when there were no crowds and how it affected them [Chiefs surrendered the league title to Sundowns on the final day of the season after leading almost the entire campaign].
“Maybe it’s still on their minds, they’re used to it [the packed stands cheering for them]So hah, I think it affected them more than it did us.
“But it would have been nice to have a full Dobsonville Stadium for this game.”
Truter has a lot to think about before starting after playing a draw against the TS Galaxy on Saturday.
Some of their players took hits against the Galaxy, while others had to overcome fatigue before lining up against the stutters of coach Gavin Hunt.
Swallows could regain top spot with a win against the Chiefs after the Sundowns leaders dropped them on Sunday.
The Birds had risen to the top after their game against the Galaxy on Saturday, but Sundowns’ seven-goal thriller against AmaZulu allowed them to knock Swallows out of first place.
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