South Africa Premier Soccer League is back!

The long wait for the resumption of the South African Soccer League is finally over and is set to restart in August this year. Punters on Betway like the league can now get ready to start betting on their favourite teams. The league was suspended indefinitely in March due to the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic. Even though the situation has not been contained yet, the restart will be under strict health protocols.

The decision to restart the league was reached after deliberations between the South African Football Association (Safa) and other stakeholders. The PSL had hoped to resume earlier, but the football governing body, Safa, remained adamant that the conditions were not right yet.

Initially, there were reports in the South African media suggesting that the league could be cancelled, but the announcement of the restart put these rumours to bed. PSL chairman Irvin Khoza reiterated that the league would be completed at all costs.

Sports Minister Nathi Mthethwa had initially granted PSL teams permission to resume training, albeit under strict conditions. The teams were required to assign compliance officers before allowing players back to training.

The remaining fixtures will not be held in the usual fashion. Khoza announced that Gauteng will host all the remaining PSL and NFD (National First Division) games. Teams from outside this province will be assigned provisional homes while those from Gauteng will use their usual grounds.

The PSL has already assigned new homes for all 32 teams. Those who bet on PSL and NFD teams on Betway will have to alter their betting strategies to capture this new environment. All the competitive NFD and PSL matches will be played in 16 stadiums, all teams are expected to have entered the bio-bubble a day before the season resumes and the players and club staff must take two tests.

The Restart

Safa had suggested that the league should resume on 1 August, but the PSL, after deliberating with sponsors and partners, agreed to commence a week later. According to them, this would give Safa ample time to plan for match officials and take care of other logistical issues.

All the match officials will be subjected to medical and fitness examinations. The tests include a Covid-19 test and a 14-day fitness test under the supervision of a fitness trainer certified by Fifa.

The Nedbank Cup semi-finals will be the first matches to be played in the restart. Mamelodi Sundowns, Bloemfontein Celtic, Bidvest Wits, and Baroka FC will take part in the semis.

After that, the Absa Premiership and the GladAfrica Championship will resume. The league is expected to be finalised by the first week of September.

The fixtures and venues have already been released, and team preparations are in high gear. Before the league was suspended, most teams had already played 22 games, and Kaizer Chiefs were top of the table with 48 points. Last season’s champions Mamelodi Sundowns were second with 44 points from 21 games.

The remaining fixtures will be played every three days to ensure the league is completed in the stipulated time. Sports betting fans on Betway will have plenty of games to bet on with this packed list of fixtures.

Let the games begin.