by AKANI CHAUKE
JOHANNESBURG, (CAJ News) – THE Premier Soccer League (PSL) is headed for yet another controversial conclusion.
Both tiers – the Betway Premiership and the Motsepe Foundation Championship -are mired in storm as the curtain comes down on another eventful season.
In the elite league, the race to avoid the relegation/playoff, contested by the team that finishes second-bottom, is hotting up and hinges on a match that could further increase tensions.
Cape Town City and SuperSport United are involved in the battle to avoid the dreaded axe.
A dispute is around the fact that City has finished its campaign and are on 27 points. Supersport have a point less but appear to have a lifeline through a pending match against Golden Arrows. It was abandoned at halftime, scores at 1-1 due to poor lighting as a result of load shedding.
How a match that was abandoned in February has not been resumed is as inexplicable as the failure by the PSL to set a date for the fixture as yet.
What has been disclosed is that only 45 minutes will be played.
With a better goal difference of -12 (compared to Cape Town’s -16), Supersport only need to avoid defeat AND move above their rival, thus escape the playoffs with the sides that finish second and third in the national first division.
In this case, that is Orbit College and Casric Stars respectively. This is after Durban City were promoted to the top league. Or have they?
There is also turmoil too in the second tier.
The Durban side’s status as champions hangs in the balance because of a case lodged by JDR Stars over the alleged use of an ineligible player, Saziso Magawana.
Relegated Cape Town Spurs also played their match against Durban City under protest over the same issue.
The PSL’s Disciplinary Committee (DC) has thrown out the challenge but JDR have reportedly taken the matter to the South African Football Association (SAFA) for arbitration.
South African football is regarded as the most lucrative in the continent, hence remaining in the topflight, or promotion to it, so the stakes are always high.
While Durban City have not been handed “their” trophy, Sundowns have received the Betway Premiership trophy, whose design has been a source of ridicule by fans for its design.
– CAJ News