Share

PSL title race: A soccer-mad nation with low morale needs a boost to their spirits

It was wise old sage Henri Frederic Amiel who suggested way back in 1861 that "the unfinished is nothing".

And so, while there are many obstacles in these trouble-torn times of the Coronavirus epidemic, everything possible should be done to complete the currently halted Absa Premiership - a view espoused by top PSL guru, Professor Ronnie Schloss.

Ultimately, however, it is the government who will have  the final say as President Cyril Ramaphosa and his hard-pressed cabinet attempt to contain the current dreaded pandemic, with neither alternative to a completed 2019/20 Absa Premiership season deemed as satisfactory.

Abandoning the title race and declaring the South African football year without a champion is clearly something that would please no one, while artificially declaring narrow log leaders Kaizer Chiefs as the title holders would also have a hollow ring to it and please few except the Amakhosi faithful.

So the search should be intensified to secure a bona fide title holder, but with a formula that would exclude spectators from the remaining games and other stringent rules aimed at controlling the spread of the virus.

In this respect, however, Schloss has reiterated that certain provisions previously thought to have been implemented by FIFA to complete the season by the end of July are not in existence and time - or lack of it - is not an unsurmountable obstacle.

"There have even been reports that FIFA would allow domestic league championships to run until the end of the year if necessary," added the PSL doyen.

"The German Bundesliga is due to resume this weekend and a number of other competitions in Europe are set to follow. But there are tricky situations to settle."

If the Absa Premiership resumes, it would seem to be, in the main, a two-horse race between log leaders Chiefs, who have a four point advantage over Mamelodi Sundowns with the defending champion Brazilians enjoying a game in hand.

Finding a champion on the field of play is truly the only overriding solution to the issue - as Mr Amiel pin-pointed more than 160 years ago.

And this is not only from the sporting point view, but even more so, perhaps, because a troubled soccer-mad nation whose morale under lockdown restrictions is at a particularly low ebb, needs to have a much-needed boost to their spirits.

We live in a world where facts and fiction get blurred
Who we choose to trust can have a profound impact on our lives. Join thousands of devoted South Africans who look to News24 to bring them news they can trust every day. As we celebrate 25 years, become a News24 subscriber as we strive to keep you informed, inspired and empowered.
Join News24 today
heading
description
username
Show Comments ()
Voting Booth
How much would you be prepared to pay for a ticket to watch the Springboks play against the All Blacks at Ellis Park or Cape Town Stadium this year?
Please select an option Oops! Something went wrong, please try again later.
Results
R0 - R200
32% - 1842 votes
R200 - R500
32% - 1809 votes
R500 - R800
19% - 1100 votes
R800 - R1500
8% - 470 votes
R1500 - R2500
3% - 193 votes
I'd pay anything! It's the Boks v All Blacks!
5% - 261 votes
Vote
Editorial feedback and complaints

Contact the public editor with feedback for our journalists, complaints, queries or suggestions about articles on News24.

LEARN MORE