As grand as it would be for South African football if both Mamelodi Sundowns and Orlando Pirates were to reach the CAF Champions League final, that achievement would present the PSL with a scheduling nightmare.
As things stand, the custodians of the country’s professional football must be scratching their heads as they seek ways to ensure that a trouble-ridden season ends on time. Traditionally, the final two or three matches of the campaign are played simultaneously to avoid any cries of ‘unfair advantage’ in the battles for the championship or to avoid relegation.
The Royal AM saga — which saw the KwaZulu-Natal club suspended deep into the season and eventually expelled due to financial troubles with Fifa and later the SARS — has thrown a spanner in the works. This has led to a lopsided fixture list, with some clubs having played 25 matches and others as few as 20.
Also unhelpful have been cancellations due to inclement weather or inadequate lighting, which have left the likes of Pirates and Golden Arrows significantly behind in the number of matches played.
The Buccaneers’ case has been further complicated by their participation in continental football. The league postponed some of their matches that preceded CAF Champions League fixtures — but inexplicably did not extend the same courtesy to Sundowns.
This has robbed us of a fair Betway Premiership contest, with the Brazilians appearing to stroll towards the title thanks to a sizeable points lead. The reality, however, is that they have played more matches — and should Pirates win their games in hand, they would be only three points behind.
With the Royal AM matches annulled, clubs will now play just 28 matches. Sundowns are already on 22 and enjoy a nine-point lead over Pirates, who have played only 20.
While Sundowns’ next three matches — at home to Richards Bay and Magesi on 30 April and 17 May respectively, plus an away fixture against Cape Town City on 4 May — are confirmed, question marks remain over their other three.
The defending champions are scheduled to play Chippa United on May 24, which coincides with the first leg of the CAF Champions League final. Should Sundowns defeat Al Ahly on Friday, the domestic tie will need to be postponed.
Then there are the rescheduled matches against the same Chippa United and Stellenbosch FC, which could not be played earlier in the season and now require new dates.
Pirates face an even more difficult situation, with three earlier matches — against Golden Arrows, Magesi, and SuperSport United — still unaccounted for in the fixture list. Like Sundowns, they are also due to play on 24 May, away to AmaZulu — a match that may also be postponed if José Riveiro’s men defeat Pyramids FC on Friday.
Pirates’ confirmed fixtures, which should go ahead as scheduled, are against Sekhukhune United at home on 30 April, the Soweto Derby against Kaizer Chiefs on 3 May, Arrows on 6 May, and TS Galaxy on 17 May.
If the PSL insists on finishing the season on May 24 and requires clubs to play their final two matches at the same time (except for one, given there are now only 15 clubs), then they could use the midweek dates of May 13-14 and May 20-21.
For Pirates, the first set of dates would require them to play just days after the Nedbank Cup final, which they are contesting with Chiefs. The second set falls dangerously close to the first leg of the Champions League final — particularly problematic if only one of the two sides reaches the final and must travel to Egypt. If both make it, there would be no long-distance travel, which might make scheduling slightly more manageable.
It will be interesting to see how the league handles this clear fixture conundrum—a situation partly of their own making due to the postponed Pirates matches and the failure to reschedule cancelled fixtures more swiftly.
While the PSL will surely be cheering on both Sundowns and Pirates in their respective matches against Al Ahly and Pyramids on Friday, the success of the two sides will undoubtedly cause a major logistical headache.
