PSL chairman Irvin Khoza pictured at a press conference. FILE - PSL chairman Irvin Khoza wants to protect the integrity of the Betway Premiership amid Royal AM’s struggles.
Image: Itumeleng English / Independent Newspapers
Why haven’t Irvin Khoza and the Premier Soccer League (PSL) pulled the trigger and expelled Royal AM from the Betway Premiership?
It’s the biggest question on South African football supporters’ lips at the moment following the massive hole the team and their owner Shauwn Mkhize have dug for themselves, especially over the last month.
It’s been almost three weeks since Royal AM was suspended from all PSL activities, including league and cup fixtures after the South African Revenue Service (SARS) seized control of the Mkhize’s assets, including the club, to recoup a reported R40 million in taxes owed to the government.
The club has also had trouble paying their players since December, while they are still serving a transfer ban since January 2024 after failing to pay out former striker Samir Nurkovic when they parted ways a few years ago.
Since the suspension, Royal AM have missed a handful of league and Nedbank Cup matches, with no clear indication of when their situation will actually change. And now it’s starting to affect other teams in the various competitions, especially in the Nedbank Cup.
The Pietermaritzburg-based outfit have not participated in a league match since a 3-1 defeat to TS Galaxy on December 29.
Royal AM’s Nedbank Cup round of 32 fixture against Milford FC on January 27 was postponed. And now the last 16 match - which is supposed to feature the winner of that match versus Sekhukhune United - has also been postponed.
The Nedbank Cup is now essentially two fixtures behind on the one side of the draw while the quarter-finals will be decided by the end of the coming weekend. This is a mess.
On January 24, two days after their suspension, Royal AM had a chance to plead their case during an emergency meeting with the PSL. The meeting was conducted to reassure the custodians of the league that they are close to sorting out their issues and will be able to resume their operations sooner rather than later.
But things have gone from bad to worse after that meeting. Last week Mkhize and Royal AM's urgent application against Sars’ curatorship of the club and the PSL suspension was struck off the roll by the North Gauteng High Court.
That should be the greatest indication that they have reached the point of no return. That hole is too deep and it’s unlikely that they will get out of it.
Surely the PSL must know this. They have stood in the corner and watched while Royal AM and their flamboyant owner have brought the league into disrepute. Now the chickens have come home to roost.
Khoza said last year that they want to do everything in their power to prevent the league ending with 15 teams for the integrity of the top flight. But with every postponed fixture that integrity jar is getting emptier and emptier.
The PSL normally likes to preserve law and order, with the football body’s prosecutor Zola Majavu on hand to dish out fines to clubs that find themselves on the wrong side of the league rules and regulations. However, at the moment, there is an uncomfortable silence coming from Parktown.
Of course it’s a big move to get rid of a team, especially in the top flight. But Royal AM’s poison is spreading fast and sometimes it’s better to cut off the foot to save the body.
It’s time for Khoza to act and act fast. This circus can’t continue. Time to get rid of the clowns.
@JohnGoliath82