Siwelele FC interim coach Godfrey Mosoetsa has hit out at what he views as an abnormal trend in South African football, criticising Premier Soccer League [PSL] clubs for constantly changing their home venues.
It is a well-documented reality that none of the current PSL teams own their own stadiums. Instead, clubs either rent facilities or enter into commercial partnerships with local municipalities. This setup has led to widespread instability, particularly in the Betway Premiership, where teams frequently relocate across provincial borders to generate extra gate revenue, cut rental costs, or fulfil municipal agreements.
The prominent youth football coach and talent scout raised his concerns after taking charge of Siwelele’s senior side during their 3-0 league defeat against Mamelodi Sundowns at Loftus Versfeld Stadium on Wednesday. Mosoetsa, who also serves as Siwelele’s Head of Youth Development and DStv Diski Challenge [DDC] head coach, stressed that this constant movement strips away the psychological advantage of playing on home turf.
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Mosoetsa emphasised that clubs must instil a strong home-ground mentality in their players, arguing that constant venue-hopping dilutes the distinction between hosting and playing on the road.
“The sooner we take home games as true home games, the better, because right now there is this movement all over the country where teams are playing everywhere,” Mosoetsa stated.
“There is no real home and away anymore. Players must understand what a home game truly means. Without being negatively arrogant or hostile, the team coming to Bloemfontein must feel and know that they are playing away. Right now, it’s all over the place. It often feels like you are a home team playing away from home.”
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The former SuperSport United talent scout added that establishing a permanent home base provides the small margin of consistency needed to bring out the absolute best in players and yield positive results on the pitch.
“Those are the small details in football that I think need urgent improvement. We need to say: let a home game be a real home game, because too many teams are scattered all over the place,” Mosoetsa explained.
“Next, we are going to Bloemfontein to face Golden Arrows, which will make a massive difference. We played on Wednesday night, and now we are on the road again. But playing a true home game, knowing the passionate supporters of Siwelele, it will be a full house. We have to make sure Golden Arrows feel that they are genuinely away from home.”
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