Golden Arrows coach Steve Komphela says it will "be a strange phenomenon" for Premier Soccer League (PSL) clubs that command a huge following if the current season resumes with no fan attendance inside Stadiums.
Traditional giants Kaizer Chiefs, Orlando Pirates and Mamelodi Sundowns are the most supported teams in South Africa and enjoy big and passionate crowds even during away games.
Bloemfontein Celtic and Black Leopards also play in front of capacity crowds at home.
With the PSL advocating for the return of football behind closed doors due to the coronavirus pandemic, Komphela said teams with a huge fan base could feel the effects of not having the backing of their supporters.
“It’s going to be a big challenge to the teams who carry bigger reputations and are used to playing in front of a full capacity or large crowds," said Komphela as per Sowetan Live.
"They might find this very strange‚ it’s going to benefit the other teams in the league. Playing football behind closed doors is another dynamic because there are advantages and disadvantages and I want to look at it from both sides. It will be very unfair of me to look at it from one side.
"You go to play at Loftus and you come across 40,000 yellow and green supporters and when you are Golden Arrows you have few supporters in the corner even though you have similar colours. You will be under pressure because Sundowns is going to enjoy the support because energy is everything in life. Supporters ignite their clubs and on matchday they become the 12th player.
"Teams that play without supporters and are used to playing without supporters are not going to be affected that much. However‚ for Mamelodi Sundowns‚ Orlando Pirates or Kaizer Chiefs‚ it is going to be a strange phenomenon to them because they will be playing in front of empty stadiums.”
“It is going to have a huge impact both emotionally and psychologically to the players and that can affect the technical output. Mind you‚ us who are just below those big three or four teams in the league‚ we are going out there saying that we won’t be beaten by Sundowns‚ Chiefs or Pirates and the motivation is going to be even extra.”
In the remaining league games, Chiefs will have to host Sundowns and the Brazilians will also have to play Pirates in big matches that are traditionally crowd-pullers that usually see tickets being sold out.
If the season continues, the matches behind closed doors will restart at a point where the title race is stiff with Chiefs leading second-placed Mamelodi Sundowns by four points although Amakhosi have played one match more.
Orlando Pirates will also be likely to play in an empty Orlando Stadium as they bid for a top-three finish.
