25th PSL season coming to an end
When then Gauteng Premier Tokyo Sexwale and the newly appointed Premier Soccer League CEO Trevor Phillips raised a toast and celebrated the launch of the newly-formed PSL in August 1996, no-one would have predicted that the 25th season of the League would be played behind closed doors with no fans allowed to watch any of the matches.
And here we are today – supporters and media alike – watching a historic 25th season coming to an end from the comfort of our homes instead of being at the stadiums due to the COVID-19 pandemic. And all this unfolded without much fanfare.
For many of us who are old enough to remember, the 1996/97 season launch was a big deal following 10 years of the semi-professional National Soccer League (NSL) First Division, where boardroom squabbles were the order of the day not to mention infighting and splits amongst the clubs during the National Professional Soccer League (NPSL) days.
Orlando Pirates clinching the 1994 League title after playing their last game of the season against D’Alberton Callies wearing jerseys that had no club logo would be unthinkable in this day and age with the level of professionalism we have now reached. It would never happen.
That Cape Town Spurs were denied the chance to be crowned champions in the same year after Pirates were controversially awarded a point against Vaal Professionals has left many people surprised to this day.
But that all seems a lifetime away now and the PSL has grown in leaps and bounds over the course of 25 seasons.
Of course, the launch of the new League was not without problems of its own – unfortunately, like any new organisation, there were many controversies along the way.
From the 2001 Ellis Park disaster, to the so-called 2002 ‘cashflow problems’, to mention just a few, the League has learned many hard lessons along the way.
These days the League is the envy of the continent with players comfortable enough to earn a living playing in front of their loved ones instead of aspiring to move abroad.
While this has been labelled as a lack of ambition, the fact that PSL clubs can afford to attract overseas talent and pay competitive salaries just shows how far it has grown over the years.
On the field of play, this season alone, Kaizer Chiefs and Mamelodi Sundowns reached the quarterfinals of the CAF Champions League, while Orlando Pirates are also in the quarters of the Confederation Cup. It is an historic achievement for the country that it has never been seen before.
And the fact that Sundowns owner Patrice Motsepe has recently been elected president of Confederation of African Football is not an achievement that should be taken lightly either.
Of course, there is still a lot of work that needs to be done to improve the League going forward.
The issue of sale and relocation of clubs is something that has been an achilles to the League and will need to improve going forward.
While the last 25 seasons have seen a lot of enhancement in local professional football – may the next quarter century be even greater.
The Editor, Zola Doda