PSL clubs may have returned to training prematurely

The Absa Premiership and GladAfrica Championship clubs may have returned to training prematurely after it emerged on Monday that the health and safety compliance protocols were not approved by the sport's mother body, SA Football Association.

After sports minister Nathi Mthethwa granted permission for non-contact and contact sport training to resume last month‚ most of the clubs conducted their first round of Covid-19 testing.

This was followed by a return to training but it has emerged that this was done without the knowledge of  Safa.

The situation has led to confusion as, according to a letter from Mthethwa to Safa president Danny Jordaan on Sunday‚ the mother body is expected to play a key role in ensuring compliance by the clubs.

“In line with the approach you followed through the Joint Liaison Committee established‚ it will be expected that Safa plays the overarching role in ensuring compliance with the directions through their appointed compliance officers‚” wrote Mthethwa.

Mthethwa’s letter further says: “The PSL has been advised to submit its plans to Safa. On receipt of such plans‚ we will appreciate if those plans are quality assured and submitted to the department to prepare its monitoring plan.

“Safa is further requested to provide the department with its detailed compliance monitoring plan of how its compliance team will monitor the PSL activities as well as any other football activities that will resume under the lockdown.

"The details should include names of compliance monitoring teams‚ dates‚ venues‚ times and clubs to be visited.”

Safa chief medical officer Dr Thulani Ngwenya said on Monday they would be meeting with the PSL this week.

“On Wednesday there is a meeting between the PSL compliance officer‚ the chief executive and the Safa compliance officers and its chief executive.

"From that meeting‚ we will map out the way forward‚” said Ngwenya‚ who was supposed to have monitored and given approval on whether the 32 Absa Premiership and the GladAfrica Championship clubs have complied with the health and safety regulations to resume training or not.

Contacted on Monday to comment on the contents of Mthethwa’s letter‚ PSL acting chief executive Mato Madlala said she hadn’t seen the correspondence between Jordaan and the minister.

“I can’t comment on something I have not seen‚” she said.

Madlala said the teams that have resumed training met the health and safety regulations that were set out by the government.

“The ones that have gone back to training‚ they have followed the protocols.”

Mthethwa said last week he would assemble a team of experts to be part of the monitoring and enforcement by the clubs and it is believed they will be starting their work in Cape Town this week.