‘Hand title to Chiefs if league abandoned’

Former Baroka FC coach Kgoloko Thobejane says the league title should be awarded to long-time premiership leaders Kaizer Chiefs if the suspended campaign cannot be concluded.

Chiefs held a four-point lead over Mamelodi Sundowns‚ who have a game in hand‚ when the season was suspended in March. Thobejane said the administrators are facing a tricky conundrum as they will have to find solutions to relegation and promotion.

“This whole thing is challenging, but if we are not continuing with the season it means Kaizer Chiefs should be given the league championship because they are leading on the log.

“We can’t say this season must overlap into next season‚” said Thobejane‚ who is the coach of ABC Motsepe League side Passion FC in Carolina‚ Mpumalanga. “We may end up with a situation where there is no relegation and we have two more teams in the PSL‚ and two less in the NFD [National First Division] next season.

“The other headache is how are you going to promote teams from the ABC Motsepe League [third tier], because we have nine teams that will be on top of the log in their respective provinces and you need play-offs to decide who is promoted to the NFD.”

Thobejane said before a decision is taken on whether to hand the title to Chiefs‚ attempts to meet the safety requirements must be explored to the fullest.

“I think there is time to try and finish the season, because in most cases the league usually starts towards the first week of September.

“If this lockdown is eased in the coming weeks and government says it’s safe to continue playing football towards July‚ we will still have some time to finish the games.

“Most teams in the PSL are left with six games and it is similar in the First Division.

“In about three weeks we can try to finish the season with teams playing every three days,” Thobejane said.