Gauteng Premier Panyaza Lesufi has explained the rationale behind the decision to bid for the Nedbank Cup final which will now be played at Loftus Versfeld Stadium.
The deciding match on May 27 will be the sixteenth final of since Nedbank took over sponsorship of the national cup.
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It is the first final at Loftus but the sixth in the province since 2008 when the financial services group came on board to sponsor the tournament.
"I humbled myself to the leadership of the PSL because we have been absent when other provinces were bidding and we were not there," says Lesufi.
"So, we humbled ourselves and presented to the leadership of the PSL and they also felt we respected them.
"We made them know we wanted this final whether it was going to be Marumo Gallants vs Stellenbosch in the final.
"We just wanted the final in Gauteng and by the time because by the time we approached the PSL and Nedbank, we didn't know who would be in the semi-finals or the final.
"We just made our bid to make our presence felt in that Gauteng is ready to host big events.
"We have the facilities, and you can choose whatever facility you want whether you take it to Loftus, Orlando, FNB…you can choose.
"So, we have those facilities and with the infrastructure that we have in terms of hospitality, we can take almost 3 million people in Gauteng immediately.
"In other provinces, you know that when the final is there the hotels are full and you can't get proper accommodation.
"We have the facilities, resources and the expertise and we want to showcase Gauteng for its economic attraction that must be promoted.
"So, we are using these facilities as part of that particular programme," explains Lesufi.
This year's final will pit either Orlando Pirates or Chiefs against Stellenbosch or Sekhukhune United.
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