We're being disrespected - Bloemfontein Celtic fans aim to upstage Macufe Cup match and Kaizer Chiefs respond

Bloemfontein Celtic's national supporters' chairperson Mabena Pule has divulged that they will mobilize football fans across Free State province to boycott the Macufe Cup.

Kaizer Chiefs are set to square off against Royal AM at Free State Stadium on Sunday in this year's Macufe Cup which is a friendly match. The game was last staged in October 2019 with the now-defunct Celtic being crowned winners after defeating Chiefs.

Celtic faithful have not taken kindly to the involvement of Royal, the side which bought Celtic's PSL status and Pule has stated that they are looking to ensure that fans boycott the Macufe Cup match and attend their picnic at Masenkeng Stadium on the same day.

"We feel we're being insulted by the organizers to invite Royal to come and play Macufe Cup. We don't want to find ourselves near the stadium because we don't want anything that would associate us with Royal after they took our team to KZN. We have decided to have a picnic at Masenkeng Stadium at the same time on Sunday,'' Pule said on Sowetan.

"We're mobilizing the people of Bloemfontein to come to our event, a picnic, and boycott Macufe because we're being disrespected. We will be having our branches' soccer teams playing there. Chiefs and Royal will get an appearance fee which they take back to their provinces, so how should we be there when the people of Free State won't benefit? Our soccer-loving people in Free State must open their eyes and not go there."

When approached for a comment by the same publication, Chiefs football manager Bobby Motaung made it clear that they respected the invitation to Macufe Cup.

"We're not running the Macufe Cup but we're just invited, so we have nothing to do with what the Celtic fans are planning. We're not affected,'' Motaung said.

Macufe's chief organizer Ban Mosene believes the event will be a success and he indicated that the aggrieved Celtic fans were a "small group of disgruntled people."

"We've got Celtic legends on our side. They'll play in a curtain-raiser game against Free State Stars legends in the morning. The event will be a success as it has always been. We're not concerned about a small group of disgruntled people," Mosene added.

The game between Chiefs and Royal is set to kick-off at 3pm and it will be televised live on SABC 1.