Polokwane respond to ‘small airport’ claim from Kaizer Chiefs opponents Zamalek

Polokwane International Airport in Limpopo has fired back at claims made by Egyptian giants Zamalek that the facility forced them to change their travel arrangements to South Africa.

Zamalek are set to play Kaizer Chiefs in their second CAF Confederation Cup group stage game at the New Peter Mokaba Stadium in Polokwane on Saturday, November 29 as they look to make it two wins on the bounce after beating Zambia’s Zesco United last weekend.

The two-time Confederation Cup winners had reportedly planned to travel to Polokwane directly via a chartered plane from Cairo but claims their travel arrangements have been delayed because of the ‘small airport’ in Polokwane.

Polokwane Airport addresses Zamalek claims

Reports in Egypt claim Zamalek were forced to change their plans which has somewhat messed up their programme but Gateway Airport Authority Limited has dismissed those claims.

“We are an international airport that accepts or lands international flights on many occasions,” GAAL spokesperson Tshepo Ramokgopa told FARPost.

“However, we don’t have a commercial international airline. But we land on private chartered flights and international flights. For example, Germany landed here when the minister of health, Nina Warken, attended the G20 Health Ministry meeting [earlier this month]. We also had the president [Cyril Ramaphosa] landing here on the 18 of November.

Can Kaizer Chiefs stop the Egyptian giants?

“We have had football nations landing here like Equatorial Guinea, Lesotho, Bafana Bafana, Tanzania and Nigeria when they were playing at the Peter Mokaba Stadium. So we don’t have any challenges at all.”

It remains to be seen which options Zamalek will use to travel to South Africa to face Chiefs, who are expected back in the country on Tuesday.

The Egyptian club are looking to take the lead in the group where they have three points, same as local rivals Al Masry, who beat Chiefs 2-1 on Sunday with the Glamour Boys and Zesco looking for their first win on matchday two.