Man Utd play in Cape Town

English premier league football club Manchester United are scheduled to play two games in South Africa in July as part of the Old Trafford side's pre-season preparations.

The English team play AmaZulu on 18 July at Durban's Moses Mabhida stadium, and Ajax Cape Town at the Cape Town Stadium in Greenpoint on 21 July.

The city of Cape Town would appear to favour hosting a high-profile squad like Manchester United over African sides, on the grounds of costs and the international media coverage associated with a giant club like Man Utd.

City councillor Grant Pascoe said that bringing Man Utd to Cape Town would cost less than €700,000 – a fraction of the cost of staging an event like the Africa Cup of Nations.

Ajaz Cape Town FC was formed in 1999 and is based in the northern Cape Town suburb of Parow. AmaZulu was established in 1932 by Zulu migrant workers, and its nickname “Usuthu” is a Zulu war cry.

Tickets for both Man Utd matches range from about €15 to €35. It is the third time Man Utd has visited South Africa following away-trips in 2006 and 2008.