Kaizer Chiefs Likely to Keep Home Games at FNB Stadium for 2025/26 Betway Premiership Season
The draft fixtures for the 2025/26 season suggest that Kaizer Chiefs will predominantly host their Betway Premiership home matches at their traditional base, FNB Stadium in Johannesburg. This marks a potential shift from their recent habit of playing several home games away from their main stadium.
In past seasons, Chiefs embraced a nomadic approach to home fixtures, frequently taking league matches to venues outside Johannesburg. For instance, during the 2024/25 campaign, fixtures against Richards Bay and TS Galaxy were held at Peter Mokaba Stadium, while Moses Mabhida Stadium hosted games against Chippa United, Golden Arrows, and Sekhukhune United.
The 2023/24 season saw Chiefs play 11 of their league home matches at FNB Stadium, supplemented by two matches each at Peter Mokaba and Moses Mabhida Stadium, thanks to partnership agreements. Before that, in the 2022/23 season, the distribution was 10 games at FNB, three at Peter Mokaba, and two at Moses Mabhida. The 2021/22 season was unique with all 15 home league fixtures staged at FNB Stadium amid COVID-19 restrictions and mostly empty stands.
According to the newly released draft schedule, Chiefs’ entire slate of home matches in the league is slated for FNB Stadium. This comes amid internal concerns over the logistical strain of traveling for home games, which in recent years has meant the team has frequently been on the road even when nominally the home side.
The upcoming home fixture list includes games against Polokwane City, Richards Bay, Sekhukhune United, AmaZulu, Swallows FC, Orbit College, Golden Arrows, and Marumo Gallants early in the season. Later fixtures feature Stellenbosch, Orlando Pirates, Durban City, Magesi, TS Galaxy, Mamelodi Sundowns, and Chippa United.
One ongoing challenge at FNB Stadium remains attendance. The massive 94,700-capacity venue often struggles to fill its seats when Chiefs face teams other than major rivals Orlando Pirates and Mamelodi Sundowns. However, the prestige and convenience of having a fixed home base appear to outweigh these concerns for the club.
Jessica Motaung, Kaizer Chiefs’ Commercial and Marketing Director, recently addressed the matter of home venues ahead of the new season. She emphasized the club’s national identity and their commitment to playing primarily at FNB Stadium while keeping options open for games at other locations.
“We are definitely a national brand, so the country is our home. So, definitely we will be playing at FNB Stadium but will certainly be playing at Mabhida where we are playing the Toyota Cup on Saturday,” Motaung said.
“Then we will look into playing some home games in other parts of the country. We also have the opportunity to play elsewhere for our CAF games in CAF-certified stadiums. Certainly, the balance of travel versus having a base at FNB will be managed.”
This approach provides Chiefs with stability in their domestic campaign while still allowing flexibility for continental fixtures and select matches outside Johannesburg.
As the new season draws closer, Chiefs supporters will be watching keenly to see how this strategy impacts team performance and fan engagement. For now, it seems the “home away from home” era might be slowing down, with FNB Stadium ready to reclaim its role as the fortress for one of South Africa’s most storied football clubs.
