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Once again, Safa is at the mercy of its special member – the NSL.
Safa has gone to the NSL, cap in hand, asking for PSL fixtures to be moved so that it can take its best players to the CAF Under-23 Africa Cup of Nations in Egypt next month.
The quadrennial international age-restricted championship – which will doubles as the 2020 Olympic Games qualifier – runs from November 8 to 22.
The dates will be problematic for local and overseas clubs whose players are set to be called up by head coach David Notoane.
The continental competition falls outside the Fifa international calendar and clubs are not obliged to release their players for national duty.
Safa has since approached the league to come to the party as the PSL did in 2015, when they bent over backwards to help the team qualify for the 2016 Olympic Games in Brazil.
Back then, the league made provision for former coach Owen Da Gama to select the best possible team.
The NSL delayed the start of the 2016/17 campaign to allow for the team’s campaign at the Olympics.
The decision was justified, as the team finished third and qualified for the games in Rio de Janeiro.
PSL acting chief executive officer Mato Madlala confirmed that she had met with Safa on the matter.
“I still have to present to my principals what we spoke about and can’t say anything at the moment,” said Madlala.
With most of the players featuring regularly at its clubs, failure to reach an agreement would make Notoane’s mission almost impossible.
“Yes, we are in discussions with the NSL and the clubs, and we should be able to finalise the matter in the next week by finding [a way to make] the best players available for selection,” Safa acting chief executive officer Russell Paul told City Press on Friday.
As things stand, the PSL has scheduled the November 2, 3, 23 and 24 dates for the Telkom Knockout quarterfinals and semifinals, respectively. During this period, the league programme would be in full swing until the next Fifa window from November 11 to 19.
This week, SuperSport United was reluctant to release its players for the Under-23s’ trip to Egypt, where they played a friendly against the north Africans on Friday.
United’s trio of Teboho Mokoena, Sipho Mbule and Jamie Webber form an integral part of coach Kaitano Tembo’s team, but are also key members of the Olympic team.
The same applies to Under-23 captain Tercious Malepe, who is a regular at Chippa United, while the likes of Portugal-based duo Kobamelo Kodisang and Luther Singh have also just made a breakthrough at their respective clubs overseas.
Safa would also have to engage overseas clubs to release the likes of Singh, Lyle Foster, Kodisang and Thabo Cele.
The tournament in Egypt will determine Africa’s three representatives at the 2020 Olympics.
South Africa will face Nigeria, Ivory Coast and Zambia in Group B, while hosts Egypt have Mali, Ghana and Cameroon in the other pool.
Notoane’s charges will open their campaign against regional rivals Zambia on November 9. They will meet Nigeria three days later and close off with the Ivorians on November 15.
It remains to be seen how soon the two organisations will reach an agreement, given their shaky relationship.
Safa’s request has come in the midst of the PSL objecting to match officials’ OUTsurance sponsorship, which the league argues conflicts with the rights of some of its main sponsors.
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