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eventREF E-0011951Revised

Event record

The soccer match between Lourenco Marques club Desportive and Durban City Football Club is called off because a rule against Coloured players

Date
17 Feb 1962
Updated
30 Sep 2019
The soccer match between Lourenco Marques club Desportive and Durban City Football Club is called off because a rule against Coloured players

On 17 February 1962, the soccer match between Lourenco Marques (Mozambique) club Desportive and Durban City Football Club (South Africa) was called off. A Lourenco Marques newspaper reported that this was because no Coloured players would be allowed to play during the game. According to a report by Cape Times, the teams' members themselves decided not to take part in the game. A message received from Durban a night prior to kick-off, the manager of Durban City, Norman Elliot states: "The Portuguese East Africa government had refused the team permission to travel, unless they could take a Coloured player with them." It is apparent here that the issue of the Portuguese Team including Coloured players was raised by the South African government. This has always been a condition set by the South African government for any foreign team touring South Africa across all sporting codes. The Portuguese East Africa government, like many others, decided to cancel Desportivo's tour of South Africa on account of Coloured players not being allowed to take part.  

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How we know this

  1. 01 Anon, (1962), 'Portugal Refuse to Play In Durban,' from Cape Times, 17 February, (Available at National Library of South Africa, Cape Town Campus) pg 1.  

Last updated · 30 Sep 2019

Cite this entry

South African History Online. (2011, March 16). The soccer match between Lourenco Marques club Desportive and Durban City Football Club is called off because a rule against Coloured players. South African History Online. https://sahistory.org.za/ref/E-0011951

South African History Online (2011) 'The soccer match between Lourenco Marques club Desportive and Durban City Football Club is called off because a rule against Coloured players', South African History Online, 16 March. Available at: https://sahistory.org.za/ref/E-0011951 (Accessed: 28 August 2026).

South African History Online, The soccer match between Lourenco Marques club Desportive and Durban City Football Club is called off because a rule against Coloured players [website], https://sahistory.org.za/ref/E-0011951, (accessed 28 August 2026).

"The soccer match between Lourenco Marques club Desportive and Durban City Football Club is called off because a rule against Coloured players." South African History Online, 16 Mar. 2011, https://sahistory.org.za/ref/E-0011951. Accessed 28 Aug. 2026.

South African History Online. "The soccer match between Lourenco Marques club Desportive and Durban City Football Club is called off because a rule against Coloured players." South African History Online. March 16, 2011. https://sahistory.org.za/ref/E-0011951.

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