Pre-season journey to where?

Limpopo’s three campaigners in the forthcoming 2018/2019 Premier Soccer League (PSL) season were in recent weeks busy with pre-season preparations.

The million-dollar question is, though: would Thohoyandou’s Black Leopards FC form part of the bigger picture, or otherwise.

Black Leopards FC won a place into the paid ranks after accounting for Jomo Cosmos FC in the National First Division (NFD) play-offs.

To make its pre-season intentions clear, the Thohoyandou-based Black Leopards FC won the inaugural Limpopo Soccer Legacy Spectacular by beating National First Division side, Tshakhuma tsha
Madzhivhandela 1-0.

However, with regards to Black Leopards’ future, the courts have ruled for the re-instatement of the relegated Ajax Cape Town FC back into the PSL.

By Monday 23 July, the response from all affected parties added to the confusion.

The PSL board of governors’ chairperson, Irvin Khoza, has issued a guarded statement to the effect that PSL fixtures would continue as planned.

However, a search of the PSL website was mute as to the fixtures involving, among other professional campaigners, Black Leopards FC, Baroka FC and Polokwane City FC.

With Black Leopards FC chairman, David Thidiela, choosing not to get directly involved in the matter, certain scenarios continue to play out.

These include the real possibility of the Thohoyandou team being forced back to another round of the play-offs, the original of which had already supposedly elevated the team into the paid
ranks.

Another option was for the PSL to increase the league’s clubs from 16 to 18, in order to accommodate both Black Leopards FC and Ajax Cape Towen FC.

Ajax Cape Town FC was charged with five counts of misconduct arising from the club fielding Tendai Ndoro in various matches.

Polokwane City FC was one of the teams which submitted a protest to the PSL against the fielding of Ndoro during an official fixture.

Ajax Cape Town was subsequently found guilty of breaching the regulations of the South African National Football Association and the world soccer controlling body, the Federation
Internationale de Football Association (Fifa).

The team was also slapped with a fine of R350 000.

And then… stop press!
PSL fixtures roll off never mind legal issues

At the time of going to print, the PSL published a list of fixtures with Thohoyandou Black Leopards away to Polokwane City at Peter Mokaba Stadium on Saturday 4 August.

This fixture should be the first of mouthwatering three-way Limpopo derbies, which should also involve Baroka FC, which is away to Amazulu on the same day at King Zwelithini Stadium.

But still, a dark cloud is still hanging over the PSL programme, against the backdrop of anticipated court battles triggered by Ajax Cape Town fielding of Tendai Ndoro last season.

Also at the time of going to print, the South Gauteng High Court postponed an attempt by Ajax Cape Town to interdict the start of the PSL season, to midweek.

Back to the fixtures … The highlight of the new PSL season’s fixtures this forthcoming weekend is the one between home-side Mamelodi Sundowns, scheduleed to welcome Kaizer Chiefs in what could
be a repeat of the inaugural Shell Hellix match-up won by Mamelodi Sundowns in recent weeks.

The latter league fixture is scheduled for Pretoria’s Loftus Verseveld Stadium on Saturday afternoon.

Another Gauteng-based club, Bidvest Wits, have a home fixture against Free State Stars, also on Saturday at Bidvest Stadium.

Gauteng-based Supersport United is away to Cape Town City at Cape Town Stadium, also on Saturday, as is Orlando Pirates, who play hosts to a cross-town neighbours, Highlands Park from
Ekurhuleni.

Lamontville Golden Arrows has an away date with Maritzburg United in a KwaZulu-Natal derby scheduled for Harry Gwala Stadium on Sunday 5 August.

On the same day Bloemfontein Celtic is scheduled to welcome Chippa United at Dr Molemela Stadium.

— The BEAT