PSL issue update on postponed SuperSport and Arrows match

Premier Soccer League [PSL] COO Professor Ronnie Schloss has explained why the abandoned match between SuperSport United and Golden Arrows was not continued within 48 hours.

The Betway Premiership match was halted at half-time due to load-shedding when the score was 1-1 at the Lucas Moripe Stadium on Sunday evening.

According to the NSL Handbook rule 14.16, as adopted and approved on 11 July 2022: “Despite any other provision in these rules, should a match be abandoned by the referee due to insufficient illumination from the floodlights, then the remaining minutes of the match will be resumed on a date and at a time and venue agreed upon between the participating Member Clubs immediately upon the abandonment of the match. The agreed date, time and venue must be within 48 hours of the time of the abandoned match subject to the approval of the League.”

WHY THE SUPERSPORT UNITED AND GOLDEN ARROWS MATCH WAS NOT CONTINUED WITH 48 HOURS

Under this rule, the match should have been concluded before Tuesday evening. Some have referred to the Magesi FC and Chippa United match, which was played in two days due to a similar situation earlier this month.

That match was concluded within 24 hours after it was abandoned due to floodlight failure at Seshego Stadium in Polokwane.

However, Prof Schloss has since clarified that the two incidents are different. He says SuperSport United failed to provide a backup generator at Lucas Moripe Stadium, and their matter will instead be handled by the PSL DC, which will then decide the way forward.

According to the PSL compliance manual 6.3.2 adopted on 3 August 2021, “Each stadium should be provided with a generator which has sufficient capacity to provide adequate lighting to the field of play and the change rooms, grandstand, VIP facilities and all other improvements.”

PROF RONNIE SCHLOSS EXPLAINS WHY THE DECISION TO ABANDON IS DIFFERENT FROM OTHERS

“There are slightly different things. First of all, when the lights went off with Magesi and Chippa, there were generators at the stadium. At this game [SuperSport and Arrows], there was no generator,” he told Radio 2000 Sports Show, Game on.

“The DC has got to make that decision as to how they handle it. As I said, one has got to look at the rules of the league that each club must have a generator that, in the event of the power going off, for whatever reason, whether it’s load-shedding, there is always a backup generator to take over.”

“It was a decision that was taken by the match commissioner in view of the fact that it’s impossible to play under those circumstances.”

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