South Africa hopes to conclude its 2019/2020 domestic football season by the end of August following its suspension since March due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Premier Soccer League (PSL) Chairman Dr. Irvin Khoza on Monday confirmed plans to resume the season with the restart date yet to be determined.
The proposed date for the resumption has been sent to the South African Football Association (SAFA) for approval. July 18 is a rumoured date for the season’s resumption but Khoza did not confirm it.
“What we have done is submitted the dates, but not announced them in public. We cannot announce them, we have prepared them and supplied them to SAFA,” Khoza said.
Gauteng province was selected to host all the 32 teams from the Absa Premiership and the GladAfrica Championship.
“KwaZulu-Natal and North West were close contenders to host the bubble but the PSL found that Gauteng has the biggest advantage.”
The selection of Gauteng province will raise eyebrows as the region has been identified by the government as the epicenter of the COVID-19 pandemic. South Africa has registered more than 276,000 confirmed cases with Gauteng accounting for about 36 percent of the total infections. However, Khoza defended the decision to resume the league.
“We have put saving lives first, in fact our whole approach is governed by this all-important health factor,” he said.
In addition to the resumption of both leagues, the Nedbank Cup semifinal matches involving Mamelodi Sundowns, Bidvest Wits, Baroka FC and Bloemfontein Celtic will also be played.
The PSL was granted permission last month by the government to resume only on condition that the clubs met strict protocols.
