PSL must tackle stadium chaos rather than move Soweto derby

The possibility of moving the Soweto derby from FNB Stadium to Moses Mabhida in Durban highlights the Premier Soccer League’s failure to address the problems putting football supporters at risk.

PSL chairman Irvin Khoza made the suggestion during an interview with television reporters at the league’s offices this week. But relocating the match would not provide a lasting solution, particularly after fans endured serious difficulties at the Kaizer Chiefs and Orlando Pirates fixture earlier this year.

More than 110,000 people attended February’s derby, including 15,000 who did not have tickets, creating a near-stampede situation. Stadium Management SA subsequently introduced a new system intended to prevent a repeat of those scenes.

That system failed again over the weekend when supporters with valid tickets were confronted by closed gates because they had arrived late. The response from the PSL cannot simply be to move high-profile matches away from their Gauteng bases.

Such a decision would penalise supporters who cannot afford to travel to Durban. It would also reduce attendance, with Moses Mabhida holding just under 60,000 people and therefore accommodating far fewer fans than FNB Stadium.

The problems extend beyond the Soweto derby. Supporters attending Orlando Pirates matches at Orlando Stadium have for years complained that they were refused entry despite having legitimate tickets, after being told the venue was already full.

There have also been allegations that corrupt security personnel accept bribes to bring ticketless spectators into stadiums. That was reportedly among the issues surrounding February’s notorious derby.

Khoza’s argument is that the derby should be moved because “there was no incident when the derby played there last year”. But that raises further questions for the PSL. If Orlando Pirates matches also attract crowds that create problems, would those fixtures be moved as well?

And why did the Springboks v All Blacks test match, which drew over 90,000 spectators, pass without incident?

The priority should be to improve the experience and safety of fans at existing venues. One practical starting point would be to enforce seat numbering properly.

A supporter who arrives late but has bought a ticket for a specific block and seat should still be able to take that place. It should not have been occupied by someone allegedly smuggled into the stadium by a corrupt marshal.

Moving the derby to an even smaller venue would not resolve the underlying failures. Moses Mabhida already faces problems with people buying tickets in bulk and reselling them for profit.

Sending the match to Durban under those conditions could create an even greater crisis than the one currently being seen at Soccer City.