POLL | Should all PSL fixtures be postponed amid the Covid-19 outbreak?

03 December 2021 - 13:00
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31 cases of Covid-19 have recorded among players and staff at Kaizer Chiefs.
31 cases of Covid-19 have recorded among players and staff at Kaizer Chiefs.
Image: Sydney Mahlangu/BackpagePix

Questions have been raised around future PSL fixtures after 31 people tested positive for Covid-19 at Kaizer Chiefs this week.

The infections led to the closure of Kaizer Chiefs Village in Naturena and left the club with insufficient numbers to field a team.

The club asked the Premier Soccer League (PSL) to postpone their four matches in December.

“As Kaizer Chiefs communicated in the past few days leading up to the game against Swallows FC [on Sunday], the club has instituted stricter Covid-19 management protocols after several positive Covid-19 cases affected the team and general personnel," it said.

“Our protocols are always strict, but we have had to be more stringent in the past two weeks, given the increasing number of infections in Gauteng and the country.

“Players and staff at Kaizer Chiefs FC have been closely monitored for symptoms during the Covid-19 pandemic and have been tested regularly. More personnel tested positive this week as we prepared for Sunday’s game.

The request was to be discussed at a PSL executive committee meeting on Friday.

“The exco is meeting at 11am, so it's going to be tabled. In fact there was an exco meeting taking place in any case for other matters and the Chiefs issue has been added to the agenda,” PSL acting CEO Mato Madlala said.

The outbreak at Chiefs started a strong debate on social media about the “bubble” players are supposed to live and play in during the pandemic, and whether other clubs may soon have to postpone their fixtures because of infections.


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