PSL to resume when clubs complete all required protocols - Madlala

PSL's acting chief executive officer Mato Madlala says the competition will only resume as soon as the clubs complete all the required protocols. 

The current season remains suspended due to the coronavirus pandemic since mid-March 2020 and the South African Football Association (Safa) and PSL have been working together to ensure that football resumes in the country.

Last week, Safa confirmed the government has green-lit PSL teams to return to training pitches, but the 16 PSL and 16 National First Division (NFD) clubs have to do and submit Covid-19 tests as one of the key regulations that have to be met. 

The government has since given the PSL the go-ahead to resume the suspended season on Wednesday and Madlala has now explained the league will only restart once clubs follow all the required safety measures.

"Resumption of football has conditions. There are some protocols that we need to follow like testing. If they say, it can resume, yes, it can resume but we have to follow certain protocols in order to start," Madlala told IOL.

PSL chairman Irvin Khoza recently revealed that a national camp based in one province would conclude the campaign.

Gauteng and KwaZulu-Natal are reportedly the provinces which have been earmarked by the PSL to host the national camp when the season resumes.

"From now on, we will have to do the audit of where we are with those protocols that we have to follow as individual clubs," Madllala, who is also the Lamontville Golden Arrows chairperson, added. 

Madlala went on to confirm that all PSL clubs have started the process of testing their players ahead of the league resumption.

"Yes, the process of testing at club level has started. Teams know what to do. That's why they have started testing," she concluded.

The Nedbank Cup semi-finals are also expected to take place with Mamelodi Sundowns set to take on Bidvest Wits, while Baroka FC will face off with Bloemfontein Celtic.

The reigning PSL champions Sundowns are also embroiled in a PSL title race with their Gauteng rivals, Kaizer Chiefs, who are keen to end their five-year trophy drought this term.