The Premier Soccer League (PSL) can ban Pitso Mosimane for life from games and affairs under its jurisdiction, but its brazen declaration that its recent suspension of the beleaguered Supersport United and past interim Bafana Bafana coach applied to ”all soccer” is invalid.
This was confirmed by a top South African Football Association (Safa) official on Friday. ”It’s like one of the provincial governments usurping the duties of the national Parliament,” he said. ”The PSL has no jurisdiction to make decisions for any soccer that is outside their own ambit. Only Safa, as the parent body, can make such blanket-like rulings.”
The assertion, however, provides scant comfort to Mosimane, who was banned by the PSL for 12 months, with 10 months of the sentence suspended, and fined R100 000,of which an amount of R30 000 is suspended, following a vicious verbal outburst against a match official after Supersport’s recent 1-0 PSL defeat against Black Leopards.
Mosimane could technically assume duties as one of Carlos Alberto Parreira’s assistants when the Brazilian takes over as Bafana coach in the New Year, but the problem here is that neither of Parreira’s designated two South African assistant coaches has yet been confirmed.
It had been mooted that Mosimane and recent fellow Bafana interim coach Khabo Zondo would act as part-time assistants to Parreira while continuing with their duties as head coaches of Supersport and Golden Arrows respectively next year.
But Safa, displaying scant urgency, has not made any decisions regarding this matter — and Mosimane’s outburst after the game against Leopards will not enhance his prospects of a Bafana assistant’s appointment for the 2010 World Cup.
”It is certainly within the PSL’s rights to request us to extend Mosimane’s ban to all levels of soccer,” said the Safa official, ”but then it is up to the national body to make the decision — not the PSL.” — Sapa