Before everything else, I’m a staunch football supporter and someone who likes to see the game in the country growing from strength to strength. But now how does the game get to grow when two top football bodies in the country don’t get along? I mean, this has been much more visible to everyone in the last couple of weeks in the quest to try and implement strategies to resume football, with the coronavirus pandemic upon us. The Government forced the two entities to work together and try to come up with plans so that the games can continue. Still,…
Before everything else, I’m a staunch football supporter and someone who likes to see the game in the country growing from strength to strength.
But now how does the game get to grow when two top football bodies in the country don’t get along?
I mean, this has been much more visible to everyone in the last couple of weeks in the quest to try and implement strategies to resume football, with the coronavirus pandemic upon us.
The Government forced the two entities to work together and try to come up with plans so that the games can continue.
Still, even though there was a task team from the two associations appointed to deal with the matter it doesn’t seem like they got along well and there were many disagreements.
After the sports ministry gave the green-light for football to resume and following the PSL stating that they are ready to play the games, Safa goes on to tell us that they are not ready.
The date was set for 18 July to resume play, but because Safa has control over match officials, they are not prepared to release them, saying that they are unfit and will need at least need two weeks to be ready suggesting that the PSL must resume in August.
This is really shocking to say the least, because teams were told they can start with training last month and looking at that fact, Safa should have long told the match officials to prepare for play.
Former referee Ace Ngcobo questioned Safa’s excuse for not being ready to release match officials on social media on Tuesday.
“From a person who mentors a significant number of referees let me place this on record: Referees never stopped training. Never stopped social distancing to the point of self-isolation. Testing them for fitness requires one day. Testing for Covid-19 requires 48hrs. Referees are ready!,” Ncobo wrote on Twitter.
This again reveals that there is something deeper happening between Safa and the PSL, which is affecting everyone involved in football.
For our football to improve we really need these two organisations to sort out their differences, because at the end of the day, their disputes or quarrels are really affecting the growth of the beautiful game in the country.
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