Jomo Sono, the owner and coach of Jomo Cosmos, has spoken out on the PSL board of governors’ decision to vote against Mamelodi Sundowns’ participation in the African Football League [AFL].
The South African champions are among eight teams drawn from ‘each of the top-ranked leagues on the continent’. The Brazilians joined reigning African champions Al Ahly, Wydad Casablanca of Morocco, Esperance, TP Mazembe, Nigeria’s Enyimba, Simba SC from Tanzania, and Petro Atletico from Angola.
However, on Friday, FARPost reported that the PSL BoG had unanimously voted against Sundowns’ participation in the newly formed competition.
The 31 clubs, excluding Downs, who sit on the board, reportedly cited the new CAF competition would disrupt the local league programme. The AFL is set to roar to life on 20 October, with Simba SC hosting Al Ahly in the opening game.
But Sundowns’ participation hangs in the balance reportedly because the organisers only communicated officially in mid-September. Sono has had his say on the saga that could potentially derail the competition, whose prize money is R76 million.
WHAT JOMO SONO SAID ABOUT MAMELODI SUNDOWNS’ PARTICIPATION IN THE AFL
“I wouldn’t vote against anything that is bringing progress in football,” he told Robert Marawa on Monday. “I wouldn’t vote against it. You can definitely rest assured my vote will not be counted. I’ve read reports that the fixture has been done blah blah blah. But you can always [change].
“It has happened before where the fixture has changed because a certain team has qualified for this and this. We change fixtures, or we go all the way, and we do the bubble. We ended up having a bubble during the off-season. It can be done.
“Nothing is impossible in football. You can change the fixtures and talk to Sundowns. They must just sit down and find a solution, so let Sundowns go and compete. I’m saying to you, for argument’s sake, if it was John Comitis, City being chosen, what would have happened?”
It remains to be seen whether the two parties will find a solution for Sundowns to participate in the inaugural competition.
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