The Premier Soccer League’s (PSL) executive committee will meet for the fifth time on Tuesday to discuss the Kaizer Chiefs Covid-19 controversy despite chairperson Irvin Khoza on Monday claiming it should be a simple matter because of the many rules and regulations in place.
Khoza said the exco would gather at 11am to follow up on previous meetings while admitting supporters were urgently waiting for clarity after Chiefs failed to pitch for last week's DStv Premiership matches against Cape Town City and Lamontville Golden Arrows, claiming more than 30 Covid-19 infections among their “employees’’ had left them unable to fulfil the fixtures.
“It is not an easy matter. It is one dealt with by the football department and escalated to the executive committee. It requires a lot of attention to detail to make sure the adjudication on this matter is thorough. We are a rules-based organisation,” said Khoza.
“Usually everything is easy. You refer to the handbook for answers. But there are situations that occur in normal life that require us to apply our mind.
“We have been referring the matter back to the office to deal with the issues we have raised, and we have been told we will get the final bit of information we require, if it is possible [on Monday] and the meeting is convened for [Tuesday].
“Whether it will be the final date we adjudicate, I don’t know. We will have to see the facts in front of us. It is urgent, it is important, it is creating uncertainty in our market, but everything we do is in the interest of all the teams of the PSL.”
The PSL issued an edict in December that no matches could be postponed because of Covid-19 and it was on the basis of this circular that Cape Umoya United and Polokwane United were docked points in last season’s GladAfrica Championship.
“But we also take into account the issue of sporting integrity and reputational management, the issues of stakeholders. There are so many things we have to evaluate in this matter,” said Khoza.
“T\he most important is our clubs come first. We apply our minds to all the clubs equally and it is important we cannot keep these clubs waiting. I hope [on Tuesday] we will advance the matter faster.”
Chiefs did return to action on Sunday and despite missing coach Stuart Baxter and many regulars, they beat Sekhukhune United 2-0 to go second in the standings.
PSL executive committee to meet for fifth time to discuss Kaizer Chiefs Covid-19 controversy
Image: Sydney Seshibedi/Gallo Images
The Premier Soccer League’s (PSL) executive committee will meet for the fifth time on Tuesday to discuss the Kaizer Chiefs Covid-19 controversy despite chairperson Irvin Khoza on Monday claiming it should be a simple matter because of the many rules and regulations in place.
Khoza said the exco would gather at 11am to follow up on previous meetings while admitting supporters were urgently waiting for clarity after Chiefs failed to pitch for last week's DStv Premiership matches against Cape Town City and Lamontville Golden Arrows, claiming more than 30 Covid-19 infections among their “employees’’ had left them unable to fulfil the fixtures.
“It is not an easy matter. It is one dealt with by the football department and escalated to the executive committee. It requires a lot of attention to detail to make sure the adjudication on this matter is thorough. We are a rules-based organisation,” said Khoza.
“Usually everything is easy. You refer to the handbook for answers. But there are situations that occur in normal life that require us to apply our mind.
“We have been referring the matter back to the office to deal with the issues we have raised, and we have been told we will get the final bit of information we require, if it is possible [on Monday] and the meeting is convened for [Tuesday].
“Whether it will be the final date we adjudicate, I don’t know. We will have to see the facts in front of us. It is urgent, it is important, it is creating uncertainty in our market, but everything we do is in the interest of all the teams of the PSL.”
The PSL issued an edict in December that no matches could be postponed because of Covid-19 and it was on the basis of this circular that Cape Umoya United and Polokwane United were docked points in last season’s GladAfrica Championship.
“But we also take into account the issue of sporting integrity and reputational management, the issues of stakeholders. There are so many things we have to evaluate in this matter,” said Khoza.
“T\he most important is our clubs come first. We apply our minds to all the clubs equally and it is important we cannot keep these clubs waiting. I hope [on Tuesday] we will advance the matter faster.”
Chiefs did return to action on Sunday and despite missing coach Stuart Baxter and many regulars, they beat Sekhukhune United 2-0 to go second in the standings.
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