Tshwane to rename another stadium after SA soccer legend
PSL / X
Orlando Pirates legend, the late Amos Mkhari, will have Giant Stadium in Soshanguve, north of Pretoria, renamed after him.
The arena will officially be called Amos Chando Mkhari Stadium, according to the office of the City of Tshwane's economic development and spatial planning.
Nicknamed "Heel Extension" because of his sheer ability to pass the ball with his heel, Mkhari died in 2014.
He joins another legend from Tshwane, Lucas "Masterpieces" Moripe, who also had Super Stadium in Atteridgeville named after him in 2010.
The City of Tshwane shared that the rebranding of Giant Stadium in honour of Mkhari was approved by the council on 24 April.
According to the city's department of economic development and spartial planning, the move was proposed by the Soshanguve heritage foundation two years ago, in April 2023.
The stadium, which is currently the home ground of second-tier side JDR Stars, is owned by the municipality.
In a statement, MMC for economic development and spatial planning Sarah Mabotsa explained that the move to honour Mkhari was in line with the city's policy.
The stadium is a municipality-owned property. The city's geographical names policy permits city-owned properties and roads to be renamed for reasons such as commemorating and honouring deceased persons, to recognise their achievements.
Mabotsa added that such moves boost community heritage and promote the character of the area.
Mabotsa concluded: "I thank the Soshanguve Heritage Foundation and their work in seeking to pay tribute to past heroes and legends in our city."
Giant Stadium was upgraded in 2009 and served as a training field for teams participating in the 2010 Fifa World Cup that was hosted in South Africa.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
2 hours ago
World Cup host city organizers acknowledge immigration crackdown may impact next year's tournament
NEW YORK -- Philadelphia's host city executive for the 2026 World Cup says organizers accept that an immigration crackdown by President Donald Trump's administration may be among the outside events that impact next year's tournament. "There are certainly things that are happening at the national level, the international level, there are going to be geopolitical issues that we don't even know right now that are going affect the tournament next year, so we recognize that we're planning within uncertainty,' Meg Kane said Monday at a gathering of the 11 U.S. host city leaders, one year and two days ahead of the tournament opener. The World Cup will be played at 16 stadiums in the U.S., Mexico and Canada from June 11 to July 19 next year, a tournament expanded to 48 nations and 104 games. All matches from the quarterfinals on will be in the U.S., with the final at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey. 'Whether it's the Olympics, whether it's a World Cup, whether it's a Super Bowl, you name it, anytime you've got a major international sporting event, geopolitics is going to have a role,' said Alex Vasry, CEO of the New York/New Jersey host committee. Kane said the host committees must adapt to decisions made by others. 'One of the things that I think we all recognize is that we have to be really good at operating within that uncertainty,' Kane said. 'I think for each of our cities, we want to be prepared to make any person that is coming and makes the decision to come to the United States or come to this World Cup feel that they are welcome. We do not play a role necessarily in what is happening in terms of the decisions that are made.' Trump's travel ban on citizens from 12 countries exempted athletes, coaches, staff and relatives while not mentioning fans. 'We allow for FIFA to continue having constructive conversations with the administrations around visas, around workforce, around tourism,' Kane said. FIFA is running the World Cup for the first time without a local organizing committee in the host nation. Asked in late April whether FIFA president Gianni Infantino was available to discuss the tournament, FIFA director of media relations Bryan Swanson forwarded the request to a member of the media relations staff, who did not make Infantino available. Legislation approved by the House of Representatives and awaiting action in the Senate would appropriate $625 million to the Federal Emergency Management Agency 'for security, planning, and other costs related to the 2026 FIFA World Cup.' The 11 U.S. host committees have been consulting with each other on issues such as transportation for teams and VIPs, and for arranging fan fests. At the last major soccer tournament in the U.S., the 2024 Copa America final at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida, started 82 minutes late after fans breached security gates. 'Certainly we were not involved in the planning or the logistics for that particular match,' said Alina Hudak, CEO of the Miami World Cup host committee. She said local police 'have done an extensive review of the after-action reports related to that in collaboration with the stadium and so all of the things that happened are in fact being reviewed and addressed and I can assure you that everything is being done within our power to make sure that the appropriate measures are being placed, the appropriate perimeters.'
Yahoo
6 hours ago
- Yahoo
Potential Royals move to Kansas sparks mixed reaction in Overland Park
OVERLAND PARK, Kan. — With the future of a new Royals stadium in Missouri still uncertain, Kansas may be stepping up to the plate. FOX4 has learned the Royals are now eyeing the former Sprint campus—now known as Aspiria—as a possible site for a new stadium. The by a business affiliate connected to the team. Kansas City gearing up to host six matches of the 2026 FIFA World Cup But while some fans are excited by the idea, not everyone is ready to crown this location as a home run. Jesse Rodriguez, who works at Guitar Center, is chief among the skeptics, but for good reason. 'Taking away land from businesses and the lack of notice,' he said. Rodriguez also works in the Crossroads District and says he saw firsthand how the Royals' previous . 'We're kind of in the middle of Johnson County, so that can be hard to manage traffic flow, movement, people getting there, hotels that they'll need. I think we need to incentivize stadiums in our cities or our states, but I don't think we need to be walked over,' he said. Download WDAF+ for Roku, Fire TV, Apple TV Former Overland Park councilman and current mayoral candidate Dr. Faris Farassati says many residents he's heard from are not on board. 'The area's design was never intended to accommodate such development,' Farassati said. 'It's noteworthy that while the city is gathering feedback on a new logo, there appears to be no attempt to gauge public interest in placing a stadium in this corridor.' Another current council member echoed that concern, telling FOX4 the city would need major infrastructure improvements in and around the area—including traffic systems and housing support—before anything could move forward. Cherrie Duensing, owner of Best Regards Bakery, located across the street from Aspiria, said she'd love to see the Royals make the move—when there is a clear plan. 'We're big Kansas City fans,' she said. 'But if they could be as clear as possible—what kind of timeline we're looking at, letting us know about possible detours or construction—that would help.' FOX4 reached out to the City of Overland Park with several questions. In response, Mayor Curt Skoog said 'Overland Park is supportive of our hometown teams. We know the Chiefs and Royals belong in the Kansas City region and will do everything in our power to keep them here.' Download the FOX4 News app on iPhone and Android Stay with FOX4 for continuing coverage as this story develops—on air and online. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
10 hours ago
- Yahoo
World Cup 2026 host cities say fans 'welcome'
The MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey, which will stage the final of next year's World Cup staged in the US, Canada and Mexico (AL BELLO) American World Cup host city officials assured Monday that overseas fans would be welcome at next year's tournament in the United States, Canada and Mexico despite "uncertainty" amid ongoing concerns over visas, border controls and social unrest. In a briefing in New York that came just over a year from the opening game of the tournament on June 11, 2026, officials said President Donald Trump's administration remained "extremely supportive" of the World Cup. Advertisement Since returning to power, Trump has started a global trade war, threatened to annex Canada and launched a border crackdown that has led to harsh treatment of foreign visitors attempting to enter the United States. Trump's immigration offensive has in turn led to civil unrest, with clashes in Los Angeles over the weekend triggered by large-scale raids last week. Eleven American cities will host the bulk of the games at next year's World Cup, which is being co-hosted by three nations for the first time and has been expanded to include 48 teams. Executives from the local organising committees for the 11 US World Cup venues gathered in New York on Monday to brief on logistical aspects of the tournament, including transportation, stadium access, fan zones as well as general access to the United States. Advertisement "For each of our cities, we want to be prepared to make any person that is coming and makes the decision to come to the United States or come to this World Cup feel that they are welcome," said Meg Kane, head of the Philadelphia organising committee. - 'Extremely supportive' - Kane said while officials were planning "within uncertainty" due to matters taking place at national and international level, the Trump administration was firmly behind the tournament. "We do not play a role necessarily in what is happening in terms of the decisions that are made," Kane said. "What we can say is that the current administration -- while there are certain situations that we are monitoring closely -- has been extremely supportive of FIFA World Cup." Advertisement Alex Lasry, the chief executive of the New York/New Jersey World Cup committee said officials were bracing for "millions" of fans inside and outside the stadiums irrespective of the political climate. "I think sports transcends geopolitics," Lasry told AFP. "I think we've seen that for Olympics. We've seen it for other World Cups, in Qatar or Russia. "People want to come to these mega sporting events, and they're going to travel to ensure that they're able to cheer on and see their team play. "Our job as a host committee is to make sure that we are putting on an event and making sure that our city and our region is ready to welcome everyone who's able to come to the World Cup," added Lasry, who was previously an assistant secretary for tourism in President Joe Biden's government. Advertisement Los Angeles World Cup committee vice-president Jason Krutzsch said organisers were working to ensure fans "understand that they are welcome in Los Angeles and will have an amazing World Cup experience." "We're working closely with the administration," Krutzsch said adding that Trump's World Cup Task Force was established to "make sure that we can welcome fans from around the world and deliver an exceptional experience." As well as hosting games at the World Cup, Los Angeles will also stage the Super Bowl in 2027 before hosting the 2028 Olympics. "We really want to make sure that 2026 goes well," Krutzsch said. "We're really focused on delivering an exceptional experience in 2026 for the world. "But they're also learning opportunities (...) to be successful in 2028." gl/hpa/rcw/as
