PSL digs in its heels over TS Galaxy request to change Nedbank Cup rules

The Premier Soccer League (PSL) has poured cold water on a request by TS Galaxy that it amend the Nedbank Cup title rules to allow lower-tier sides to begin the defence of their title from the round of 32.

Galaxy‚ who play in the National First Division (NFD), now known as the GladAfrica Championship‚ will have to start their title defence from the qualifying stages.

Coach Dan Malesela’s side famously stunned Kaizer Chiefs to lift the trophy and qualify for the Caf Confederation Cup in May. They started their participation in the continental tournament with a 1-0 win over St Louis of Seychelles on Sunday.

TS Galaxy chair Tim Sukazi said the rules should be changed.

“As the defending champions of the Nedbank Cup‚ who happen to be playing in the NFD as opposed to the PSL‚ we would have hoped for better thinking around this issue of us having to play the preliminaries to qualify for the last 32 of the tournament proper‚” Sukazi said.

“I am throwing a challenge at them [the PSL] to say: ‘look at the rules and see that you amend them so that they cater for this… situation’.

“Laws change to cater for prevailing circumstances in every sector. What stops us as football people‚ being as innovative and smart as we are‚ from changing these rules that now seem not to be making sense and not [to be] accommodating to the current circumstances?

“We have an abnormal situation here where the 16 PSL clubs will qualify automatically for the round of 32 without any of them being champions, and we have to play qualifiers.

“If that comes from the rules‚ no one contemplated this situation when they crafted those rules, and it will [require] whoever is responsible for drafting the rules to go back and look at the issue.”

Senior PSL official Ronnie Schloss said that they will not change the rules to accommodate Galaxy as this would give them an advantage.

“They will start the campaign in the normal manner through the preliminaries because everybody starts from scratch, and where they play‚” Schloss said.

“The rules are clear that the Nedbank Cup is made up of 16 PSL teams‚ eight from the NFD and eight from Safa, and it is going to stay like that.

“You can’t bend the rules to accommodate them as defending champions because everybody must start the tournament where they play.

“You will give them an added advantage and you can’t do that‚” Schloss said.

Sukazi‚ a lawyer by profession‚ said it would be unfortunate if the PSL was not prepared to consider the request.

“I am not necessarily going to go the legal route, but I am saying here is a challenge‚ amend the rules if they don’t cater for the situation‚” he said.

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