Township Rollers will face South African premier soccer league (PSL) giants Kaizer Chiefs in the pre-season Maize Cup tournament scheduled for Klerksdorp in North West South Africa on Saturday, July 15.
The Blues and the Amakhosi will play each other in the second semi final of the one-day tournament in a game scheduled for 12 o’clock midday, with the winner due to play the winner of the first semifinal later that afternoon.
In the day’s first semifinal, Platinum Stars will play fellow PSL side Free State Stars in a game that will kickoff the day’s festivities at 10 am.
Speaking during the draw held at Klerksdorp on Tuesday, Rollers Public Relations Officer (PRO) Phempheretlhe Bafana Pheto said that Popa is grateful for the invitation to participate in the tournament, and that the club has a mission to win the cup.
He reminded his South African audience that the Blues are the only team among the four that are reigning champions, as Rollers have recently won a second successive and record 14th BTC Premiership title. The three South African sides participating in the Maize Cup ended the season without their national title, won by Bidvest Wits.
Rollers faced Kaizer Chiefs in the 2015 CAF Champions League preliminary match, after the two sides had won their countries’ respective league titles in 2014.
Popa put up a good showing but narrowly lost 2-1 away and 1-0 at home to be eliminated with an aggregate 3-1 score line. Since then, Rollers and Chiefs have played each other in numerous friendly match practices.
Rollers participated in the first Maize Cup, then known as the Maize Triangle Challenge in 2015, losing to Platinum Stars in the semifinal, after a 2-2 draw over 90 minutes.
Township Rollers will face Kaizer Chiefs again for a friendly match on the 22nd in Francistown.
