On the field the 2001/2002 season is expected to be the best since the formation of the Premier Soccer league (PSL) five years ago. But the PSL will have to solve several off-the-field problems.
Firstly it will have to stick to its fixture list to avoid congestion something it has been unable to do in the past. In January and February the schedule will be disrupted by the African Cup of Nations in Mali, and the league must end in April to allow Bafana players the requisite month of training with the national team for the World Cup in Korea and Japan. This might be a tall order, considering that with just the Olympics to disrupt fixtures last season the league ended in June.
The PSL is also being held in
ransom by Bloemfotein Celtic and African Wanderers, who are trying desperately to overturn their relegation. Celtic are a vapid, lacklustre and mediocre outfit who have now resorted to cheap tactics to continue displaying their uninspiring brand of football. As for Wanderers, years of alternating between the top flight and first division have taught them nothing. They threatened an interdict to prevent the league starting, but have agreed to arbitration. The PSL would be advised to leave room for two more teams.
The lack of sponsorship for the first division after MTN pulled out remains a cause for concern. First National Bank also ditched the Bob Save Super Bowl probably due to the shabby treatment the sponsors got from the PSL when the showpiece cup final was played as a curtain-raiser to a Pirates-Chiefs game.
The Premier soccer league this season will be expected to be on fire as the soccer fraternity will be welcoming the richest African league cup competition, the Coca-cola cup where the winner pockets R2 million.
The glimpse of what supporters should expect this soccer season was shown during the off-season with various soccer tournaments that had been played. The first was the Vodacom challenge billed the healing process between four great soccer teams. Two from South Africa Orlando Pirates and Kaizer Chiefs facing Ghana’s glamour boys Asante Kotoko and Hearts of Oak. Chiefs defended the kudu horn with a great display of soccer from their youngsters.
There was also the People’s bank challenge, which was held in the Northern Province and KwaZulu Natal. The winners were of the Northern Province edition were Supersport United, who gave newly promoted Black leopards a lesson of things to come in the premier soccer league. Free State Stars won the Durban edition of the competition.
Not to be outdone, the Western Cape staged the Super Cup, a tournament between Rothmans Cup winners Ajax Cape Town and Bob Save winners Santos. Santos emerged victorious with a thrilling 4-2 win after a penalty shootout.
The Telkom charity cup a soccer tournament made to benefit charity was marred by the lack of defending Telkom champions Sundowns, who failed to garner enough public votes to qualify. The cup was then contested Ria Stars, Moroka Swallows and virtual automatic participants Kaizer Chiefs and winners Pirates.
Orlando Pirates and Kaizer Chiefs continued to show their supremacy in their brand by securing a partnership with Standard bank worth R25 million for each club. Both teams went on to secure their new home grounds with Chiefs getting Ellis park and Pirates Johannesburg stadium leaving the FNB stadium stranded with only the Bafana Bafana games to be played there.
Nothing should be taken away from the other teams that participated in the off-season tournaments because they also showed that they would be in contention for every cup game including the Premier soccer league championship. Clive Barker, last year’s Bob Save Superbowl winner as coach of Santos, has sounded the first warning bell to Pirates that the league will not be theirs this season but is set to go back to his new team, the inaugural PSL champions Manning Rangers.