South African football’s progress is being put at risk by dangerous crowd behaviour

Thirty years after the Premier Soccer League began with a landmark Durban derby, South African football is facing a serious threat away from the pitch, with unruly supporters creating dangerous conditions inside stadiums and putting orderly fans at risk.

The first PSL match was played exactly three decades ago, when AmaZulu defeated local rivals Manning Rangers 2-0. Warren Lewis was among the scorers for AmaZulu in that opening fixture.

Manning Rangers recovered from that defeat to make history by winning the inaugural Castle Premiership title. The unfancied side, known as the Mighty Maulers of Chatsworth Stadium, became the first club to have its name engraved on the trophy.

Celebrations followed for Gordon Igesund’s 1996 team, including Solomuzi Nzimande, George Koumantarakis, Clinton Larsen, Bradley Muir, Grant Johnson, Innocent Chikoya, Simon Makhubela, Kerryn Jordan and Gilbert Mushangzhike.

The team later added another distinction to the competition’s record books. Manning Rangers remain the only PSL club to record the biggest opening-day victory, having beaten Hellenic 7-0.

Much has changed since that inaugural 18-team league campaign. Eight of the clubs involved at the start have since disappeared from the top flight and now sit in the history of South African football.

Those clubs included Michau Warriors, who had Wade du Plessis and Frank Schoeman in their ranks, and Mahwereleng Real Rovers, helped by Alex Bapela and Mpangi Merikani. Real Rovers finished one point above relegation with 36 points, the same total recorded by Vaal Professionals, who included Serame Letsoaka and Innocent Mayoyo.

Umtata Bush Bucks had the identical Mugeyi twins, Wilfred and William, while Witbank Aces featured player-coach Harris Cheou and Marco Mourmarda.

At Wits University were Lovers Mohlala and Bradley Carnell. Steve Crowley and Andrew Tucker played for SuperSport United, while George Nechironga and Simon Gopane represented Bloemfontein Celtic.

Phumlani Dindi was part of The Birds, alongside the late Jacob Lekgetho, regarded as one of the best left-backs. Qwaqwa Stars included Robinson Muchichwa and Fees Moloi.

The arrival of the PSL represented a major turning point. It brought a more professional structure to the game, ending a period when some players were not paid until the 32nd day of their 13th month. It also moved clubs away from being run, sometimes quite literally, from the boots of cars.

The winners’ prize was initially a R500,000 cheque, while players were given shirts carrying their names for the first time.

The league has since changed identity through successive sponsorship agreements. Absa was the headline sponsor from 2007 to 2020, followed by DStv from 2020 to 2024 and Betway from 2025-26 to date.

The competition now consists of 16 teams, with the champions receiving R20m. Clubs also compete for additional prize money in the MTN8, Carling Knockout and Nedbank Cup.

The PSL has become more professional, its television coverage has improved and it remains the sport at the centre of national conversation. Commercially, it is the dominant football league on the continent.

South African football has also benefited from the legacy of the 2010 World Cup, with world-class stadiums and infrastructure continuing to be used by neighbouring countries that do not have venues meeting the international standards set by the Confederation of African Football and Fifa.

Yet those stadiums, designed as arenas for fierce sporting contests, are increasingly becoming places that some supporters avoid because of concerns about their safety.

Social media is frequently filled with footage of fans caught in dangerous situations. Warnings about supporters entering stadiums without tickets, or forcing their way inside, cannot simply be dismissed as alarmism.

Ignoring those incidents risks allowing another Orkney or Ellis Park disaster to occur. Unruly crowds are effectively gambling with lives, endangering supporters who follow the rules and increasing the possibility of an otherwise avoidable stampede.

That behaviour brings an ugly edge to the beautiful game and reflects badly on a country that hosted the 2010 World Cup, described here as the best World Cup. “Psst, don’t tell Donald T I said that.”

The methods needed for effective crowd control already exist. The problem is the lack of political will to put them into practice. Only the Holy Spirit knows why.

The story audio was generated using AI.

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