THE Premier Soccer League’s (PSL) refusal to accommodate Mamelodi Sundowns, by postponing their league games against Maritzburg United and Platinum Stars leading up to their CAF Champions League semi-final run, goes beyond inconveniencing the club. It sends the wrong message that domestic football trumps continental competitions.
It’s an arrogant mindset that the country struggles with, especially with the belief that there is no life beyond the Limpopo. The decision will further give clubs, who send their B-teams, more ammunition to save their players for the domestic league that’s more financially rewarding. I believe the PSL missed a trick with this decision, especially having bent over backwards to accommodate Orlando Pirates in the 2013 CAF Champions League and the Confederation Cup last year.
The fact that the chairman of both the PSL and Pirates is Irvin Khoza, is something that doesn’t help the organisation when they’re painted as showing favouritism. Acting chief executive Mato Madlala made things worse in her defence of the league when she told my colleague, Mazola Molefe, that the Brazilians should count themselves lucky that they have to travel to Ndola in just over a two-hour flight from Joburg. She argued that Black Leopards travelled further than Ndola yet they had to play Golden Arrows right after that when they took part in the 2012 Confederation Cup. Among the reasons why Pirates’ matches were postponed was because of their hectic travelling in parts of North Africa where they went via Dubai. So the fact that Lidoda Duvha weren’t accommodated also shows double standards.
By offering Sundowns support, in action not just words, the PSL would have given clubs further incentive for doing well on the continent knowing that they have the full backing at home. I applauded the PSL when the organisation bent over backwards to accommodate the Olympics team by stopping the league during the qualifiers last season and started this campaign late to help them in their participation in Brazil. It was a great decision where the club-versus-country dilemma was avoided.
It should be a common occurrence, with the national interest put ahead of everything else. It’s hard to believe the league’s argument that there are no dates when the season has just started. Yes, the late start and the break in January-February because of the Africa Cup of Nations will take a huge chunk of their time but there is something they can do. They could start by not clearing a whole week for cup matches. If the sponsors insist that cup games should be played on the weekend and not during the week, then there should be midweek games leading to the weekend.
Coach Pitso Mosimane cut a calm figure the day after it was revealed that the PSL won’t postpone the matches they had asked for. It was a calculated move, Mosimane having mentioned how much effort went into helping the Buccaneers in their African sojourn. He won public sympathy. Mosimane said the club must play the hand they have been dealt with, which will see them ‘live in airports’. He argued this would make victory even sweeter. This month - the club will play eight games, in three provinces and also travel to Zambia - will test their depth. Mosimane has assembled a strong squad that can handle both assignments. They have Sibusiso Vilakazi, Anele Ngcongca, Thapelo Morena, Yannick Zakri and Ricardo Nascimento among the players who aren’t registered for the Champions League.
As much as Mosimane doesn’t like chopping and changing his line-up, he will be forced to field two teams - one for the domestic league and the other for the continent. The important thing is that they have the right mindset. They are looking forward to the challenge as it’s a chance to show their character.
Sundowns have shown they have strong willpower after they were eliminated from both the Champions League and the Confederation Cup this year. They returned to the Champions League with vigour after CAF re-instated them in the group stage after AS Vita were kicked out for fielding a suspended player.
Should they end up as African champions, it will be interesting to see the wording in the statement the PSL will send in congratulating them.
Saturday Star