Good news for football fans in South Africa – the domestic season was set to return on August 8 after a four-month hiatus. The Premier Soccer League (PSL) chairman Irvin Khoza made the long-awaited announcement at a live press conference recently.
Sports activities were halted across the globe following the Coronavirus outbreak that has continued to plague the world.
The decision to resume domestic football in South Africa was reached after the soccer governing body made extensive consultations with all stakeholders, including FIFA delegates, health personnel, and top government officials. The news of resumption will be welcomed by betting fans who had limited options following the break. As usual, Betway brings all the matches from the South African Premier League.
According to the Referees Sub-Committee of the Technical Committee, the first week of August 2020 was the appropriate date for the commencement of NSL matches,” SAFA announced.
Through the ministry of Sports, Arts, and Culture, PSL had been granted the go-ahead to restart the 2019/20 season on June 23, 2020. That was after ascertaining that PSL had complied fully with all the requirements set out by the government and the World Health Organisation. The season was initially scheduled to restart on July 18, 2020, but structures for availing match officials on time were delayed.
During the press conference, it was announced that the Nedbank Semis would curtain raise the second phase of the season. The semis will be an all-premier league affair, with Mamelodi Sundowns facing Bidvest Wits, while cash-strapped Bloemfontein Celtic will be up against Baroka FC.
Back in the league, Kaizer Chiefs top the log with 48 points, four ahead of Mamelodi Sundowns who have played a game less. Chiefs have maintained the lead for the better part of the season and will be hoping to consolidate their lead once the league resumes on August 11.
Defending PSL Champions Mamelodi Sundowns made a stuttering start to the season that saw them fall behind in the league standings. They had continental assignments that may have interrupted their flow, but they made notable improvements before the unexpected break happened.
Betting fans can bet on all the PSL matches, plus the Nedbank Cup semi-finals, with Betway for a chance to win with one of the leading bookmakers.
Progress made on the African Continent
Top European leagues like the German Bundesliga, English Premier League, Italian Serie A, and the Spanish La Liga resumed successfully in June, and South Africa will use them as a blueprint as they bring football back to the fans.
South Africa is the worst-hit country on the continent in terms of confirmed cases of Covid-19, but that will not deter the relevant authorities from restarting the league. Stringent guidelines have already been put in place, including compulsory testing for all players and officials, limited access to training facilities, and other directives set by the Ministry of Health.
No fans shall be allowed in stadiums, but matches will be televised live across the country to allow the fans to follow. Fans can take the opportunity to bet on live games on the Betway app as they watch their favourite teams play.
