Staff Reporter.
The Premier Soccer League has confirmed that the Telkom Knockout competition will not be replaced in the 2021/22 season.
This was revealed by the PSL chairman, Dr Irvin Khoza during the press briefing held in Johannesburg.
Mamelodi Sundowns were the last winners of the TKO tournament during the 2019/20 season after they defeated Bloemfontein Celtic in the final.
Khoza and his acting CEO Manto Madlala cited congested fixture lists and travelling challenges as other reasons for not adding the fourth competition in the league this season.
“We’re not having a replacement at the moment because there’s thing we are dealing with in terms of understanding the full landscape of CAF [competitions],” said Khoza during the PSL press briefing in Johannesburg.
“There are too many competitions being played and adapting the fixtures, you saw last season how difficult it was for the clubs that were qualifying, coming back, changing and chopping, it’s a challenge that’s cost us a little bit of money in terms of the budget but it’s a reality we have to face.”
PSL acting CEO, Mato Madlala reiterated Khoza’s sentiments while adding that the Covid-19 travel restrictions have also played a role in not seeking an alternative sponsor.
“What complicates matters further, last season we had to play the first weekend of June which we don’t normally do because we didn’t have gaps, we didn’t have dates available for teams participating in CAF and the challenges they are facing now with Covid too,” Madlala said.