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WILL PSL SEASON RESUME OR BE NULLIFIED?

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Dr Irvin Khoza during the Premier Soccer League and Absa press conference at PSL Press Conference Room on June 26, 2019 in Johannesburg, South Africa. (Photo by Lefty Shivambu/Gallo Images)
Dr Irvin Khoza during the Premier Soccer League and Absa press conference at PSL Press Conference Room on June 26, 2019 in Johannesburg, South Africa. (Photo by Lefty Shivambu/Gallo Images)

WILL the Premier Soccer League (PSL) resume or not?

That is the big question on players, coaches, officials and fans lips as confusion reigns after all the recent in-fighting between the PSL and the SA Football Association (Safa).

Now a new twist has emerged following Safa’s confirmation that the league can restart in the first week of next month, and that the PSL has not told clubs whether the league is in favour of that date or not.

Clubs who have been training for two to three weeks are not sure what the PSL will say to them in the Board of Governors (BoG) meeting that is set to take place today or tomorrow.

After the BoG meeting, the clubs hope to be informed by PSL chairman Irvin Khoza whether Safa’s proposed dates to resume is acceptable.

The ball is back in the PSL’s court.

The PSL was left red-faced by Safa’s confirmation that the 2019-20 season can only restart in the first week of next month, with mother body explaining that referees weren’t match fit and they also needed to do mandatory Covid-19 tests.

The league originally announced that the PSL would resume on 18 July, but this date was rejected by Safa who said this decision wasn’t agreed to in their Joint Liaison Committee (JLC) meeting.

“What came out of our BoG meeting last week was the PSL will engage all the stakeholders regarding the delay in the sense that we were all set to start playing from 18 July,” said club boss who didn’t want to named.

“Safa then confirmed the league will restart in the first week of August, but the PSL hasn’t agreed. I don’t even have the fixtures and who will be our first opponents when we restart.

“Cancellation (of the Premiership) is a possibility at this stage because there’s still so much uncertainty and that is the concern for clubs.

“The reality is that our players have been training for the last two to three weeks and we were ready to go to the biological safety environment (BSE) in Gauteng. Obviously that has changed, but we’ll continue to train until we know the status.”

SunSport sources say there was a meeting that took place on Friday between Safa, PSL and the government.

Khoza is expected to inform clubs what transpired at that meeting.

“For many clubs to start in the first week of August is fine.

“But what about Bidvest Wits and Mamelodi Sundowns, who potentially have 11 games (still to play)? It’s impossible to squeeze them all in during August,” another club boss said.

“But the best options for clubs, players, supporters and sponsors, is to play the games to get to the conclusion (of the season). But Covid-19 that has got so much worse now, it is a decision between Safa and government.

“Hopefully, we will know what is happening within the next two days.”

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