Black Leopards FC owner and founder David Thidiela has made explosive accusations about Irvin Khoza, branding the PSL chairman an authoritarian who runs the league with an iron fist.
Thidiela is aggrieved by the way the PSL handled Lidoda Duvha’s purchase of All Stars FC after they were relegated from the Motsepe Championship Foundation at the end of the 2022/23 season. After taking over All Stars’ issues, Leopards found themselves struggling to pay off some players, leading to them being banned by FIFA.
Among his other grievances, the Lidoda Duvha supremo is unhappy that Khoza is at the helm of the league while also serving as Orlando Pirates chairman. Khoza has been PSL chairman for the last 23 years.
Thidiela feels Khoza’s roles amount to a conflict of interest, and he is also unhappy with Golden Arrows boss Mato Madlala’s continued role as the PSL acting chief executive officer for the last decade. In driving his disapproval of Khoza’s leadership, the league’s former board of governors member alleges that the Pirates boss has become more powerful than South African president Cyril Ramaphosa.
THIDIELA ALLEGES KHOZA REPORTED HIM TO VP MASHATILE
“Irvin Khoza has reported this [Thidiela’s grievances] to deputy president [of SA] Paul Mashatile, and I think it was sometime in July last year when I went to the deputy president’s house,” Thidiela said on Radio 2000. “When I got there, to my surprise, Irvin Khoza was also coming there, and we met there and we discussed the issues.
“After discussing the football issues, the resolution by deputy president Paul Mashatile was that he will arrange a meeting with the minister of sport and that time it was Zizi Kodwa, if I remember correctly. That meeting, until today, has not taken place. I thought of dropping this whole thing [running a club] and go out of football. That’s why I had to purchase a club for my son when the other one was relegated by those in power to relegate teams.”
Thidiela says he was surprised to learn that they had been slapped with a player transfer ban at the start of this season. He claims he was never made aware of what the ban was about, even after demanding an official letter of FIFA’s decision.
Surprising to him was what he says were instructions from the PSL that the players they had signed were ineligible for competitive football.
LEOPARDS’ BIG QUESTION TO THE PSL AND THE BIG FALLOUT
“We asked, ‘who banned us? Is there any letter from FIFA saying that we have been banned?” Thidiela went on.
The situation saw Leopards struggling to raise matchday squads, resulting in former Amajita defender Thendo Mukumela playing as a makeshift goalkeeper. Leopards played the first four league games of this season under the purported ban, and Thidiela wants those matches to be replayed.
Thidiela says they then approached SAFA, who helped them establish that Black Leopards were not banned on the transfer market by FIFA, but the club was under investigation.
“Ever since I have been in football, Irvin and I don’t see eye to eye. I can mention how many times he has suspended me, inquiries, what I stole, this and that, so many things. They want me out of football,” added Thidiela.
“Look, I met Irvin when I was a cop, I was a no-nonsense cop, a straightforward cop who doesn’t take a bribe. So Irvin was Irvin.”
DICTATORSHIP AND PIRATES’ KHOZA HAVING ‘MORE POWER THAN RAMAPHOSA’
“This is personal. If it were not for Irvin and Mato, Black Leopards would have been very big today. I’m a man who doesn’t say ‘boss’, I am not a yes-man, I’m not used to that,” declared Thidiela.
“I’m used to being my own person, and I don’t beg anybody for anything. I don’t need a favour from anyone, I worked for everything I have. This league is run by Irvin Khoza alone. His word is final. He’s a dictator this guy. He dictated my money, I’m a shareholder, equal to him. We are equals, as far as shareholding of the league is concerned.
“I’m not happy with them, and he knows that as well. I was against that from the beginning [Khoza doubling as Pirates and PSL chairman]. I have served under so many chairmen in the Premier League, and I have never seen a chairman with such power in this country. He’s got more power than Cyril Ramaphosa.
“I’m saying the guy is a dictator. It’s either you toe the line or you are out. I am among the people who must be out of this league. This league, it’s either you say yes to Irvin or you are out, and I’m not going to allow that.”
Thidiela is waiting for a response from the current Sports Minister after airing out his grievances.
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