It was payback time, and the Premier Soccer League (PSL) – who threatened to disrupt the African Football League (AFL) – made an about-turn on Friday and gave Mamelodi Sundowns their blessing to participate in the brand-new continental competition.
Caf president Patrice Motsepe, who has been spearheading the AFL, was not too long ago the saviour of the PSL when they lost the GladAfrica sponsorship at a crucial time when the season was about to commence.
Billionaire Motsepe stepped in and handed the PSL a sponsorship on a plate, and the National First Division was renamed the Motsepe Foundation Championship.
On Friday, Motsepe would have been a very happy man after the emergency meeting of the PSL’s Board of Governors (BOG), comprising the 32 club chairpersons, agreed that it will not stand in the way of Sundowns playing in the inaugural AFL.
Voted in support
A few days ago, the BOG, the league’s highest decision-making body, unanimously voted in support of a decision to bar Masandawana from taking part in the competition.
Now that the Brazilians have been cleared to play, coach Rulani Mokwena will be a highly relieved man.
On Thursday, he was not sure that the PSL would change fixture dates to allow Sundowns to play in the continental competition.
He was starting to think that the solution might be to field two teams so that the club could fulfil PSL and AFL fixtures.
“I hope it doesn’t come to that. I hope that we’re able to always put out the best team on the pitch, and of course to make sure that all of us are available to be able to assist and support the players during the 90 minutes,” said Mokwena.
Earlier on Friday, the Confederation of African Football named tourism company Visit Saudi as the primary sponsor of the AFL.
The league will feature the highest-ranked and most successful football clubs on the African continent, and will kick off on October 20 and end on November 11.
According to Caf, the success of the AFL will further contribute to the establishment of youth academies for boys and girls, and the enhancement of football infrastructure in the 54 countries represented by Caf’s Member Associations.
The inaugural event will include Africa’s leading eight clubs: Al Ahly (Egypt), Enyimba (Nigeria), Esperance Sportive de Tunis (Tunisia), Mamelodi Sundowns (South Africa), Petro de Luanda (Angola), Simba SC (Tanzania), TP Mazembe (DR Congo) and Wydad Casablanca (Morocco).
IOL Sport