Coronavirus: Safa CEO Motlanthe hints PSL season will not be cancelled

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There seems to be light at the end of the tunnel that football will return in South Africa in the next few weeks

The South African Football Association (Safa) CEO Tebogo Motlanthe has hinted the 2019/20 PSL season will not be cancelled.

However, Motlanthe warned a final decision on when football will return rests solely with the South African government.

Motlanthe said the people must not jump the gun and push for the resumption of the season even if the situation doesn't permit it.

While Minister of Sport Nathi Mthethwa has allowed the return to training of contact sports under Level 3 of the coronavirus lockdown, Motlanthe reiterated that competitive football cannot be played unless the country moves to a lower level or ease the regulations.

"People must not jump the gun. We will take guidance from the government," Motlanthe told Daily Sun.

"The Minister told us to consider lives before economy. Under Level 3, football cannot be played.

"Fifa said the respective governments across the world must make decisions and we are no exceptions," he said.

Motlanthe further stated the process of deciding what will happen might be sped up as clubs have already fumigated their training facilities for the return to training.

His statement simply means Safa has no intention to abandon the current season; something the PSL has been working hard to achieve over the past few months.

The Joint Liaison Committee (JLC) resolved that both Safa president Dr Danny Jordaan and PSL chairman Dr Irvin Khoza should make presentations to Mthethwa over the league's readiness to possibly resume football, and Motlanthe said the country might hear the way forward sometime next week.

"Clubs have already fumigated their facilities and put plans in place to be compliant. Hopefully, the process might be sped up and next week we might hear something from the government," added Motlanthe.

The country is divided on possible solutions that could save both the lives of players and officials and the season which is only left with eight to six rounds of matches at most before its completion.

As things stand, Kaizer Chiefs top the standings with 48 points and lead second-placed Mamelodi Sundowns by four points although the defending champions have a game in hand.

2020-06-07 18:00:05

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