PSL turns down Kaizer Chiefs’ request

The Premier Soccer League has declined the request by Kaizer Chiefs to have their December fixtures postponed.

At the beginning of December, the Soweto giants initially recorded 32 Covid-19 cases at Naturena, before the number rose to 48.

This saw Chiefs writing to the PSL asking to have their upcoming matches moved to a later date, before failing to fulfill the December 4 home fixture against Cape Town City as well as the scheduled trip to Golden Arrows four days later.

The league released a statement on Monday for the first time since the saga started:

On the 2nd of December 2021, Kaizer Chiefs Football Club wrote to the Premier Soccer League (PSL) requesting “the postponement of all our matches for the month of December 2021.”

The PSL Football Department declined the application. Kaizer Chiefs referred the Football Department’s decision to the NSL Executive Committee for reconsideration and asked that the Executive Committee accedes to the club’s request for the postponement of the club’s “remaining fixtures for the month of December.”

The Executive Committee afforded Kaizer Chiefs a full opportunity to provide information in support of their request.

Among other things Kaizer Chiefs were asked to demonstrate, why: despite NSL Circulars no 12 of 2020; 24 of 2020; and 11 of 2021; exceptional circumstances existed to postpone all Kaizer Chiefs matches for the month of December in this instance.

During its deliberations on the matter the [PSL] Executive Committee has taken the advice of Senior Counsel; has obtained input from the League Chief Medical Officer, and has considered representations from those potentially affected by the Football Department’s decision including Kaizer Chiefs.

Having exhaustively considered all aspects of the matter, and the information provided, the Executive Committee today resolved that Kaizer Chiefs has not established a basis to reverse the decision of the Football Department.

The decision of the Football Department stands and the request to postpone Kaizer Chief’s matches for the month of December 2021 has been declined. The PSL will host a press conference on the 5th of January 2022. The League will not be available to comment further until then.