PSL needs clarity on the return of fans to games
JOBURG -– The sooner sufficient South Africans were vaccinated to achieve herd immunity, the sooner supporters will be able to return to the games in numbers, says a statement from the PSL.
The Premier Soccer League has welcomed the decision to allow the return of a limited number of vaccinated fans back to soccer games.
However, the league has demanded to meet with the South African Football Association (Safa) and the Department of Sport to clarify some aspects about the return of fans.
The executive committee of the league met on October 13 to deliberate on the amended Disaster Management Act Regulations of October 11 and identified matters that required stakeholder engagement and clarification, a statement from the league said.
The league said they still wanted Safa to inform them of the lessons learnt from the Bafana match against Ethiopia on October 12, vaccination messaging’ Sasrea compliance, ticket allocation, the issuing of tickets, access control, seating arrangements, media access, and the need to develop standard procedures.
Until further notice, the league said the current Covid-19 protocols of the league would continue to limit attendance to 165 persons at matches. The committee has targeted the MTN8 final on October 30 as the ideal match to test the protocols that will be put in place.
It added that the committee would meet again within the next 10 days to assess the outcome of the consultation process, and the league would thereafter communicate the approach that would be implemented.
The league called upon all supporters of the beautiful game to support the government’s stance on the importance of vaccination and the achievement of herd immunity, saying the sooner South Africans were vaccinated, the sooner supporters would be able to return in numbers.
The league expressed its appreciation to government for making the return of supporters possible and also thanked supporters, sponsors, and the media for their patience and understanding.
