Premier Soccer League’s woes not over until final whistle blows

Just when the Premier Soccer League (PSL) thought its Covid-19 woes were on the brink of disappearing, following the relaxation of the lockdown regulations that paved the way for the possible finalisation of the current season, it seems it’s not over yet until the final whistle blows.

First it was the outbreak of the global pandemic of Covid-19 which turned the entire world head down with a global lockdown of countries as they battled to contain the invisible and indomitable enemy that mutates each time you manoeuvre a tackle.

Then came the power struggles between the PSL and the mother body, the South African Football Association over who calls the shots when it comes to all things football, including the professional side of the business of football. The football controlling body had ordered the closure of all things football in a bid to contain the coronavirus outbreak, yet, the PSL refused to succumb but had to eventually shut down.

When a ray of light shone on the possibility of resumption of the unfinished business of the league, squabbles between the PSL and Safa emerged once again. This necessitated the intervention of Sports Minister Nathi Mthethwa, who ordered the two bodies to work together in a joint committee to map the way forward for football and the protocols to be observed.

When the nation thought the conundrum had been solved, then came the shock that failed absorbers, in the form of a sudden announcement by major sponsor of the league, Absa, that it was terminating its sponsorship at the end of the current outstanding games to end the season.

This announcement also turned professional football head down as the league had to hastily start knocking on doors in an effort to find another sponsor before the new 2020/21 season starts. It is believed one of the top contenders to take over the Absa Premiership is the Bidvest conglomerate which owned one of the oldest clubs in the country, Bidvest Wits.This meant they had to ditch the club in favour of a bigger pie in the sky.

Bidvest then quickly sold their PSL club status to a little-known club from Limpopo, Tshakhuma Tsha Madzivhandila, which is a little over five years old and plies its trade in the GladAfrica Championship, better known as the National First Division – a precursor to the premiership.

Whether TTM, as Tshakhuma is better known, wins promotion to the premiership or is relegated to amateur football, the Safa controlled ABC Motsepe League, it will still play premiership football on the status of Wits.PSL and Orlando Pirates chairperson Dr Irvin ‘Iron Duke’ Khoza has confirmed the league has no power to stop the acquisitions.

“Premiership football is a business and we cannot stop people from selling their businesses when they want to, for as long as they have observed the standing protocols.”