Tim Sukazi, the TS Galaxy chairman who was manhandled by security guards minutes before his team faced hosts Orlando Pirates in Soweto on Saturday afternoon, has labelled the scenes as a "shame and disgrace" to SA football.
As chairman of Galaxy he holds an all access accreditation at any of the Premier Soccer League sanctioned match venues – Orlando Stadium being no exception.
"But I was denied entry," Sukazi told the Siya crew on Saturday night.
"I had a conversation with the chairman of Pirates, Dr Irvin Khoza, during that scuffle to get to the bottom of why this was happening. He said I could go in, but only to the change room not the pitch and I took that as a compromise because I have an all access accreditation."
The video of Sukazi being pushed and shoved by the Pirates security personnel, while his own staff were also trying force him through the doors, went viral on social media prior to kick-off, a game Galaxy went on to lose 2-0.
"Our team obviously caught on to what was happening because we usually pray together before the game, and they would have noticed that I was not there. This is really a shame and disgrace for our football," said Sukazi.
What happened to @SukaziTim at Orlando Stadium is embarrassing, unacceptable and should not be happening. @OfficialPSL must withdraw all our accreditations then we won’t bother you to stadiums!!
— David Mogashoa (@DavidMVM) December 11, 2021
"I received calls from all walks of life, and the first question was whether I was safe! As lawyers we are not used to this. But people are asking if we are thugs. This has sent the wrong message about the league. It's a big shame and a disgrace. Can you imagine, this is bankrolled by DStv and I have to be asked, as a club chairman, if I am safe in an official DStv Premiership match. People are asking me if this is what I have gotten myself into – it looks like hooliganism, they are asking if we are thugs because of what we are doing. In the legal profession you don't come across such. We don't know this."
Sukazi said he would write to the PSL hierarchy to seek clarity on why he was denied to areas he would normally have had access to.
"We need answers. They need to explain a number of things – is it normal and, most importantly, if you have an all access accreditation what do they mean. How can it be that everyone has all access but not Tim Sukazi. Who gave that order and based on what rule? Why did the chairman say I could go to the change room and not the field? For all I care, if Kaizer Motaung arrived at Mbombela Stadium tomorrow, I wouldn't want our people to interrogate him. Who doesn't know Kaizer Motaung? Unbelievable."
