With no public statement from the PSL about tonight’s match, will Golden Arrows have to take to the field for their fixture against Kaizer Chiefs tonight – even in case Amakhosi won’t pitch?
Many football fans around the country have asked themselves this question, as it seems Arrows will be the only team at Princess Magogo Stadium tonight.
SAFA Head of Referees Abdul Ebrahim had confirmed the match officials will also be present at the stadium and follow normal procedures unless they would receive a communication from the PSL before the match.
“Like I said the match officials will follow their normal procedure,” he told Thomas Mlambo on the Ultimate Sport Show.
“Whichever team is there the same will happen like both teams were there, they will do the standard checks an hour before kick off and hopefully when it comes to kick off time it will happen.
“In the absence of any team, the match officials will still follow the normal procedure and if the match does not take place they will just submit the normal report to the referees department and the Premier Soccer League.”
However, this game differs from Saturday’s incident when Chiefs were the hosts and the gates at FNB Stadium never opened, leaving Cape Town City and the match officials stranded.
Today, Arrows will be the hosts and they confirmed they will be at the stadium and follow normal pre-match routines.
Ebrahim, though, insisted that Arrows do not need to take to the pitch and perform a kick-off as was seen during the relegation/promotion playoffs when Royal AM didn’t honour their fixtures.
“It’s not necessarily that they will take the field but they can take the field and kick off, but they don’t have to,” he explained.
“It can happen, but it’s not a must.
“If one team doesn’t pitch by kick off time then the match-commissioner can call the game and you don’t necessarily have to take the field of play.”
There was confusion on Wednesday as it appeared the official PSL website had listed the match between Arrows and Chiefs as “postponed” but it eventually did return.
Meanwhile there has been no official comment or explanation from the PSL, which could lead to a second potential walkover against Amakhosi.
