PSL fixture headache building after election-day postponements

· The South African

The PSL is facing a calendar problem, with seven league matches already postponed.

As domestic and continental games clash, the question is where to fit them in now.

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Here’s the latest on the PSL fixture headache and why a packed schedule is a problem.

Why did the PSL postpone matches?

Seven Premiership games set for 4 November were postponed due to the local government elections on Wednesday.

A statement on the Kaizer Chiefs website said the PSL would confirm the new fixtures at a later stage.

The only match going ahead is the Carling Knockout Cup quarter-final between Mamelodi Sundowns and Golden Arrows tonight (3 October).

The fixture at Loftus Versfeld must be played because of Sundowns’ CAF Super Cup clash against USM Alger on 8 October.

According to the CAF website, the fixture will be hosted at the same venue in Pretoria on Sunday.

However, the bigger question is why the domestic postponements came so late.

The date for the local government elections was already confirmed on 7 August this year.

Confirmation of the PSL postponements, meanwhile, appears to have only come days ahead of time.

There is currently no indication of when the postponed PSL and Carling Knockout games will be played.

Fixture congestion could hurt Sundowns and Pirates

Meanwhile, Sundowns are still involved in the following competitions:

  • The CAF Super Cup fixture against USM Alger is on 8 November.
  • If Sundowns advance, the Carling Knockout Cup semi-finals are scheduled for 21-22 November, according to the PSL website.
  • The Challenger Cup is on 12 December, according to the FIFA website. This would take priority over the Carling Knockout Cup final on the same day.
  • If Sundowns win the Challenger Cup, they will face Paris Saint-Germain on 16 December in the Intercontinental Cup final.

This means that Sundowns would need up to four new league dates.

Orlando Pirates also have a similar problem with overlapping fixtures:

  • The Carling Knockout semis are relatively close to their CAF Champions League fixtures. Matchdays this year are on 27-29 November, 4-6 December, and 18-20 December, as confirmed by the CAF website.

This creates an issue for the PSL – where do the postponed games fit in?

One possible solution is midweek matches in late November and early December.

As it stands, Miguel Cardoso and Abdeslam Ouaddou need to rotate teams carefully to avoid burnout and more injury woes.

WHAT IS THE SOLUTION TO THE PSL FIXTURE HEADACHE?

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