The Professional Soccer League (PSL) held its quadrennial general meeting (QGN) in Johannesburg on Wednesday and the incumbent league chairman Irvin “Iron Duke” Khoza was elected unopposed.
A new executive committee was elected was also elected at the same meeting.
Khoza will serve for the next four years and it has been reported by Sunday World at the weekend that he is contemplating relinquishing the position in 2024.
The PSL also presented its 2019/20 financials. The PSL reported that it had received an unqualified audit report from auditors PriceWaterhouseCoopers (PwC).
Income for the year 2019/20 totaled R970-million. Service payment to clubs increased by R40-million to R656-million from R616-million.
Addressing the QGM, chairman Khoza said: “As a business that organizes the largest and most gatherings in South Africa, the PSL value chain is vulnerable to the new normal where the movement and gathering of people can, as we have experienced with COVID-19, carry a deadly virus not detectable by any of human’s five sense.
“The NSL [PSL] operates a business whose critical asset is its fixture. It is from the fixture that every activity is energized. It is the fixture that creates conversations which are a major business all in themselves.
“Traditionally, our value proposition is funded out of a part of our sponsors’ businesses that is most vulnerable to budget cuts – marketing. Marketing budgets are the first to be cut in recessions. We have experienced this through the difficulty we experience in sponsorship renewals and our broadcast partners experience in broadcast sponsorships and advertising sales.
“It has become urgent for the PSL to consolidate and let the market receive tangible and ready to use formats, intelligence about NSL audience.
“The manner in which we created the bio-bubble, albeit very expensive, proved that we are reliable partners prepared to go to the end of the world to protect our partners and their value proposition.”
The chairman also thanked national government, the SA Football Association (Safa), the Gauteng hovernment, the City of Johannesburg, Ekurhuleni and Tshwane Municipalities for their support in enabling the PSL bio-bubble that was meant to complete the past season in a safe and healthy environment.
The QGM elected a new PSL executive committee, while Khoza was elected unopposed for the position of chairman and has served the league for the past 18 years.
The new PSL Executive Committee:
– Irvin Khoza (Chairman)
– Kaizer Motaung
– Mato Madlala
– John Comitis
– Stanley Matthews
– David Thidiela
– Rejoice Simelane and
– Robert Benadie
