Mzansi’s coveted leading Premier Soccer League (PSL) has found itself in quite a sticky situation, as they had to cancel the highly anticipated Royal AM vs Orlando Pirates match-up, amid the club’s president Shauwn Mkhize’s woes with the South African Revenue Services (SARS), causing uncertainty regarding their future.
After entering the league in one of the most chaotic ways the PSL has seen, Shauwn Mkhize and her controversial club have found themselves unsure of their future in the league, as she faces the serious consequences of evading taxes and is alleged to owe the authority approximately R40 million.
A preservation order granted by the high court resulted in the club going under the curatorship of SARS, resulting in a domino effect on the club, including the non-payment of players and staff salaries, as well as the uncertainty of the club’s future.
Despite Royal AM’s general manager’s reassurance that business is back as usual and that the team would be facing Soweto giants Orlando Pirates, the eagerly awaited clash has since been cancelled, while the club’s fixtures have been suspended indefinitely.
? FIXTURE UPDATE ?
Our fixture originally scheduled for 23 January 2025 against @RAMFC_sa has been cancelled.
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#OrlandoPirates
#OnceAlways pic.twitter.com/8JppvhoDEO— Orlando Pirates (@orlandopirates) January 22, 2025
This unusual situation has left fans perplexed, as they voice concern and annoyance at both the PSL and MaMkhize for bringing about this conundrum. These fans have inquired whether the cancellation of the match-up will be recorded as a forfeit from Royal AM’s side, resulting in an immediate three points for the Buccaneers or will they completely disregarded as participants in the league.
PSL must deduct 3 points for every game that Royal AM can’t honour & give those points to the opposing teams. These are the results of allowing the teams to buy each other’s status without due diligence especially financial stability.
— Madiba waseQamata (@Tabile_Zukile) January 22, 2025
Also see: Lorna Maseko’s SAA deal: Connection or merit? Mzansi has questions
