Football: President’s Cup |19 November 2020
NSC chief executive Larue (right) and SFF secretary general Bibi talking to the press
Stad Linite to welcome back fans on Saturday
On Saturday, the local football body will launch its new season with the traditional President’s Cup between Foresters and Côte d’Or, and after nearly a year, the gates of Stad Linite will finally reopen to fans and spectators following strict restrictions due to the coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic.
Since the resumption of football following the suspension of all local sporting events, all football matches had been played behind closed doors, a decision which the Seychelles Football Federation (SFF) took in parallel with the then department of health as part of the safety precautions against the Covid-19 pandemic.
Chief executive of the National Sports Council (NSC) Jean Larue said the SFF received the green light, but under very strict conditions, after the football body successfully presented its standard operating procedure (SOP) which is a set of step-by-step instructions compiled by an organisation to help workers carry out complex routine operations.
Following that, several adjustments were made to the Stad Linite which is the main football venue, all in line with the different requirements of the health authority.
Secretary general of the SFF Georges Bibi said they have been working in close partnership with the health ministry and all the amendments were made according to their specifications.
These include new sitting arrangements – with distanced and numbered seats –, more sanitising materials ‒ both at the entrance and in the toilets ‒ and installation of pedal bins among other measures.
In terms of social distancing, Mr Bibi explained that the two main stands which can accommodate 700 fans each, will now take only 334 each.
He also explained that all the seats have been numbered and upon buying their tickets, fans will be obliged to sit in their designated place, corresponding to their ticket.
They will also have all their personal details taken beforehand to avoid congestion on match day where only temperatures will be taken.
For the opposite stands, only 461 seats have been reserved, again to allow for social distancing at the venue.
The SFF will have wardens available on match day to ease the process.
As for ticket sale, it will not take place at the gates as it was traditionally done, but will be sold at different points.
As of today, R50 tickets will be on sale at the Maison Football, Roche Caïman from 9am to 4.30pm, while the R75 tickets will be on sale at the Seychelles Post Office in Victoria tomorrow (from 10.30am to 5pm) and Saturday (from 9am to 1.30pm).
Since Côte d’Or will feature in the President’s Cup, Mr Bibi noted that tickets have already been sent to Praslin for fans to purchase.
Mr Bibi is urging all fans to abide by and respect the guidelines and rules set by the health authority, especially wearing face masks at all times throughout the match.
Roland Duval
