The decline of Royal AM: A wake-up call for SA football

Football is the most popular sport in South Africa, boasting over two million players.

Its popularity is regularly highlighted by the thrilling Soweto derby, which consistently attracts 80 000 fans or more, depending on the capacity of the match venue. Given this fervent support, it is understandable that the followers of South Africa's most beloved sport have their eyes fixed on the ever-evolving situation surrounding Royal AM, a club that has become a source of embarrassment within local football.

The KZN-based club has reduced the guardians of the country's professional game, the PSL, to helpless bystanders. This is particularly notable considering the PSL is helmed by Irvin 'The Iron Duke' Khoza, widely regarded as one of the most powerful sports officials in South Africa.

Khoza, 76, has held an unopposed position since he first came to power in 2003, and in November 2022, he was voted to serve until 2028.

Last week, the PSL announced that their executive committee would meet on Friday to permit the club, currently under a court-appointed curator, to make representations. However, by late Sunday, the PSL remained tight-lipped about what transpired during the meeting and what actions, if any, would be taken against Royal AM.

Adding to the chaos, Royal AM was recently seized by SARS due to a staggering R40 million tax debt, while Fifa have ordered the club to pay R15 million to their former striker, Samir Nurkovic. The situation has worsened with the imposition of transfer bans, and the club's withdrawal from the PSL's reserve league, the DStv Diski Challenge, leaves the competition with only 15 teams instead of the usual 16.

At this stage, there are concerns that similar circumstances may lead to Royal AM's disappearance from the Premiership level.

A significant part of the problem lies in the structure of the PSL, where club owners, who are typically chairmen, also serve on the executive committee that Khoza has led for the past 21 years. Ideally, independent officials with proven business backgrounds should take these roles to eliminate conflicts of interest.

Despite numerous calls to address this conflict, the PSL has shown no signs of change, and the absence of consequences only exacerbates the situation.

Khoza has a knack for securing sponsorships when needed, evident when DSTV pulled out of the Premiership sponsorship just as the league was set to commence. In a flurry of activity, he quickly delivered the Betway sponsorship package.

As the country awaits the outcome of Royal AM's fate, one cannot expect Khoza to make a swift response. The football fraternity knows that the PSL tends to remain silent on contentious issues.

While Khoza has touted the PSL as one of the best-run leagues in Africa, last week's omission from the International Federation of Football History & Statistics annual ranking of the Top 5 Strongest African Leagues for 2024 raises eyebrows. This ranking evaluates the overall strength and performance of leagues based on their clubs’ results in domestic championships, cup competitions, and international tournaments.

Africa's current top five ranked leagues are the Egyptian Nile Premier League, Morocco's Botola, Algerian Ligue Professionnelle 1, Tanzania's Ligi Kuu Bara, and Tunisia's Ligue Professionnelle 1.

The absence of South Africa's PSL in this ranking sends a clear message about the challenges facing local football and the need for urgent reform. | Independent Media Sport