Thidiela calls for full overhaul of PSL leadership after Black Leopards relegation

Black Leopards president David Thidiela has called for every member of the Premier Soccer League Executive Committee to resign, saying South African football needs a new and neutral leadership structure.

Thidiela’s criticism follows Black Leopards’ relegation from the Motsepe Foundation Championship to the ABC Motsepe League. The president of the Didoda Duvha club said the current administration had contributed to the difficulties faced by teams and urged the authorities to investigate the wider state of the game.

He questioned both the organisation of the PSL and the financial pressures affecting clubs, while also raising concerns about possible conflicts of interest within the league’s leadership.

The PSL Executive Committee is chaired by Dr Irvin Khoza, who is also chairman of Orlando Pirates. Its other members include Dr Kaizer Motaung of Kaizer Chiefs, Mato Madlala of Golden Arrows and Dr Rejoice Simelane of Mamelodi Sundowns.

Stan Matthews, the former Siwelele FC CEO, Tim Sukazi of TS Galaxy, Jomo Biyela of Richards Bay FC and Johnny Mogaladi of Polokwane City are also members of the committee.

Madlala is currently serving as acting PSL CEO, a position Thidiela questioned during an interview on 947’s MSW.

“Our football is not running the way it’s supposed to be run. For example, who’s the CEO of the league? Acting CEO for 12 years and no one of us know how much she’s being paid for, monthly,” Thidiela said on947’s MSW.

He said clubs were being forced to fund their operations while receiving insufficient financial support from the league.

“We are all struggling to run our own teams with our own money because the grant we’re getting is very little. [While] other people are comfortable.”

Thidiela also claimed that Madlala’s involvement represented a conflict because of her connection to a club. He said he had previously written letters challenging her continued role.

“I wrote letters to say she’s conflicted there. She can’t be there because she owns her own club. How can she determine my future?” he added.

The Black Leopards president then extended his criticism to the entire football administration, arguing that those currently in charge had failed to resolve the sport’s problems.

“I would tell them that, guys, like I have been singing, let’s not run soccer because we have failed. We are failing in every corner.

“I am saying all of us must resign. Let neutral people come and run our soccer.”

Thidiela stressed that his appeal was not intended solely to protect Black Leopards after their relegation. Instead, he called on the state president to support a wider investigation into how football is being run in South Africa.

“Hence, I’m calling the state president, not to save Black Leopards, no, he mustn’t come and talk about Black Leopards,” he added.

“He must investigate [through Madlanga Commission] why, where are we going wrong? We must all be interviewed and what can be done and we put neutral people like before to run the football in this country.”