Editor's Column - Clint Roper

When Soccer Laduma broke the news that AmaZulu were making an audacious attempt to come back into the PSL by simply buying their way back in and doing a deal that would see them take Mpumalanga Black Aces' PSL status, footy fans in Mzansi were outraged, and rightly so. Some news agencies even questioned if this audacious story was true.   But, sure enough, both clubs approached the PSL to try and make it happen. Credit where credit is due, the PSL rejected the proposed application. PSL CEO Brand de Villiers stood firm in upholding FIFA's statutes that basically say that a club's right to take part in the top league in a country should be earned through sporting merit, not bought or done in a way that hurts the integrity of the league. Had AmaZulu been able to simply throw money at their problem and bought their way back, not only would it have made a mockery of the PSL and its relegation and promotion system, it would have made a mockery of the fans who support those clubs.    I'm happy for the fans of Mpumalanga Black Aces that they get to enjoy PSL soccer for another season. I don't envy the club owners who now have the task of trying to motivate supporters to rally behind the club for the season when it is clear that the money on offer to sell their PSL status was far more important to the owners of the club than the passion of their supporters. The very least the club owners could have done before jumping for the money was to engage with their support base and held a referendum of sorts to see if the fans were okay with going back to the NFD. Perhaps if the owners had explained why the money was needed and that it was a good way of securing a better future for the club, the fans would have gone along with it. But it seems, as is the case with most fans of clubs in this country, they have very little say as to what happens when club owners, who in essence have been given the awesome responsibility of curating the passion of these fans, decide to do their own thing. Names of clubs simply change, club colours change and where clubs are situated changes - there is very little stability for the average fan in the PSL and that needs to change. And rejecting this proposed deal is a step in the right direction.    A lot of people have been having a go at Orlando Pirates this week because of the fact that they allowed a 1-0 lead to turn into a 2-1 defeat in the CAF Confederation Cup. Before casting the first stone, let's step back a second and acknowledge what this team is doing for South African football. Orlando Pirates remain the only real threat on the continent when it comes to flying the flag for South African soccer. The fact that they are still in a continental competition is an achievement on its own.   Zamalek, unlike some of the minnows that other PSL teams have tripped up on during their travels of Africa, are no pushovers. They are giants of the African continent with five CAF Champions League titles to their name, so this was never going to be an easy game for Pirates. Also, while all the other PSL teams have been enjoying an off-season, Pirates have been at it hammer and tongs. Due to the fact that we, in all our genius, decided to align our domestic season with that of Europe's while the rest of Africa have not, essentially means Pirates are being punished for being successful on the continent, which should not be the case. So rather than chastise them, instead I say well done to Eric Tinkler and his team for the effort they are clearly putting in, as well as to Orlando Pirates as an organisation for taking African continental competition seriously! While it is currently more than likely hurting the club more than helping it, it certainly is doing a lot for South African soccer in terms of giving our players continental experience, allowing them to rub shoulders with Africa's best.    There are a lot of top interviews in the paper this week. It's always great to have Steven Pienaar on our pages and his is a cracking interview conducted by David Minchella. It's exciting to hear him talk about the English Premier League and how he has had to reinvent himself to stay relevant. It's also fascinating to hear his views on Cristiano Ronaldo and Messi, and who is the better of the two. But, for me, the most touching part of the interview is Steven's great desire to give back. He explains that he wants young South African youngsters to have an opportunity to uplift themselves. As we head towards 67 minutes for Mandela this Saturday, where we celebrate a man who did so much and gave so much to South Africa, it's not lost on me that guys like Steven Pienaar are not doing this for any other reason than to give back. So 'Schillo', we salute you for your efforts, sir.     Getting back to your paper, one of the most exciting pieces of writing for me comes from the interview with Golden Arrows' new coach Serame Letsoaka. A couple of month's back, I wrote in this column about how I fell in love with the football that Golden Arrows are known for.    Over the years, the style of Arrows' football has been diluted to a certain extent, as happens when results and pressure builds on teams. This is why when Letsoaka says in this edition's interview that he wants to bring beautiful football back to Arrows, it excites me, and I hope the other coaches in the PSL will follow suit. Who knows, maybe even Mpumalanga Black Aces will be able to win back the hearts of their supporters if they give them the football they want...   Shappa, Clint 

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