SA football has to up its game
Today is the deadline for companies interested in acquiring the Premier Soccer League TV rights to submit their bids.
The deadline was extended by two more weeks, according to PSL chairman Irvin Khoza, after more broadcasters and telecommunications entities asked that they be given more time.
This is an indication of how valuable these PSL TV rights are. We know that 10 years ago, when the PSL for the first time awarded the rights to pay channel SuperSport for R1.6-billion, that act changed the landscape of our football. It meant more money for the clubs.
But our main concern is not whether the companies that will be pledging millions are getting what they deserve. We are more worried about the product we see on our television and at our stadiums.
Too often, PSL football is sleepinducing. Sure, you get classic games here and there but the bulk of the games do little justice to the PSL’s claim that it’s the best league on the continent.
For example, this week only one out of seven matches produced a winner, with the rest ending in draws. Four of the draws were 0-0. That means 360 minutes of football involving eight teams could not produce a goal.
How are fans expected to flock to our stadiums to see teams defend for 90 minutes? In today’s era where there’s so much entertainment, it’s little wonder that most fans opt to stay home.
Just this week at about the same time the PSL games were taking place, South Africans had an option of watching the Uefa Champions League, live broadcast of the unfolding events in Zimbabwe, and even the drama of the Eskom parliamentary inquiry.
The last thing the PSL would want – having already seen dwindling numbers at stadiums – is to see fans voting with their remote controls and finding more attractive content on the small screen.
Having said that, we wish SuperSport United the best as they take on TP Mazembe in the final of the CAF Confederation Cup tomorrow. SuperSport, to their credit, encourage us because they have scored in all their games en route to the final. We are confident they can get a required result tomorrow, and fill us with euphoria after we were subjected to boredom this week.