If you are a Betway PSL betting fan, you can gear up for the games.
The long-awaited return had to overcome many obstacles to become a reality. The return had been a topic of discussion for some time. In some instances, the deliberations got messy when the PSL and the South African Football Association (SAFA) could not agree.
It took the involvement of the Minister of Sport, Nathi Mthethwa, to get the two to agree. The PSL had projected to start the games on July 18. They claimed to have observed all the requirements to the letter. But, SAFA, the umbrella body, became an obstacle to their desires, maintaining that football could not resume until the first week of August.
On July 27, the stakeholders met and agreed the season would restart on August 8. All the remaining matches are scheduled to be played in Gauteng, including the National First Division (NFD) games. This new league format will force bettors on Betway to revise their strategy.
The PSL has allocated 14 stadiums, where teams will conduct their training. The competitive games will be played in 11 stadiums in the province.
When the games begin, all teams will be subjected to strict health protocols provided by the Joint Liaison and the government. The government expects all teams to be in a bio-bubble a day before the season resumes.
PSL also announced that when the season resumes, the first games will be the Nedbank Cup semi-finals. As a result, Baroka, Mamelodi Sundowns, Bidvest Wits, and Celtic must be in the bio-bubble by August 7. The other teams not taking part in the Nedbank Cup semis must be in the bio-bubble by August 11.
Most PSL teams have six matches to play. To ensure the games are finished by early September, the teams will have to play a game every three days.
The matches will be officiated by 110 match officials who have also undergone fitness and medical tests. The fixtures are scheduled to start as early as 13:30. All teams will have to play from provisional home grounds for the remainder of the season.
The resumption will follow the original schedule before football was suspended. On August 11, Sundowns will host Orlando Pirates at the Dobsonville Stadium. Punters on Betway must be on top of their game as there’ll be plenty of matches to place their stake on.
The current league leaders Kaizer Chiefs will host Bidvest Wits at Orlando Stadium in another mouth-watering midweek encounter. The other opening matches will be played from Friday to Monday. The highlight of the weekend matches will be the encounter between Pirates and Wits at Ellis Park on Saturday.
Since all the matches will be played behind closed doors, fans can support their teams by following the action on television. All the matches will be televised except the match between Cape Town City and Mamelodi Sundowns, played at Loftus Versfeld.
