Tshakuma Tsha Madzivhandila FC
By: Refilwe Sebola
Venda-based outfit Tshakuma Tsha Madzivhandila (TTM) have found themselves at the centre of a social media backlash after confirming that their Nedbank Cup Last 32 clash against Orlando Pirates will no longer be played in Thohoyandou.
The highly anticipated fixture, originally expected to take place at Thohoyandou Stadium, has now been moved to Moses Mabhida Stadium in Durban, with the match scheduled for Saturday, 07 February.
The decision has angered many TTM supporters, who took to social media in their numbers, accusing the club of abandoning its home base and failing the Venda football community.
One social media user, Bae-hawk Murhena, questioned the club’s leadership and raised concerns about where the team is truly being managed from.
“TTM is indirectly telling the Venda nation that the club is being managed at KZN. With Royal AM and their management not allowed to legally have a team in the Republic, I think given their history they saw it fit to use the lower league and TTM to advance their mission. Are we going to have free buses to Durban?” he asked.
Another user, Articulate Flamingo, expressed frustration and called for a permanent relocation.
“It’s better they relocate to Durban once and for all. So disappointed,” read the comment.
Modric Unarine echoed similar sentiments, suggesting that the club should be regarded as a KwaZulu-Natal side.
“I think it’s high time now… TTM should be treated as KZN team. #its up to you Vhembe people,” he posted.
While the outrage has dominated online platforms, some supporters and football followers believe the move may not have been entirely in the club’s hands, claiming the decision was allegedly influenced by a lack of cooperation from the Vhembe Municipality, particularly regarding logistical and operational arrangements at the Thohoyandou venue.
Despite the mixed reactions, one thing is now confirmed — the match will be played in Durban.
The venue switch has also sparked debate about whether TTM will be able to draw meaningful support away from home, especially with the club currently struggling for form.
TTM come into the match on the back of a humiliating 5-0 league defeat to Selwane White Vultures, and they sit second from bottom on the log with just five points from seven games.
Against an experienced and in-form Orlando Pirates side, many believe the odds are heavily stacked against the lower-division team.
Without their home crowd in Venda, several supporters have already begun predicting a one-sided scoreline, with some even comparing the potential outcome to the infamous mismatch involving Mamelodi Sundowns and Powerline FC, where the lower division side conceded 24 goals.
TTM, however, will be hoping that the bright lights of Moses Mabhida can inspire a famous cup upset — the type of “David vs Goliath” story the Nedbank Cup is known for.
But for many in Venda, the bigger question remains: if the club cannot host its biggest match of the season at home, then where exactly does TTM belong?
And as one supporter bluntly asked online: “Are we going to have free buses to Durban?”