PSL’s Irvin Khoza Shares Sacrifices Orlando Pirates and Kaizer Chiefs Made to Save the League
- PSL chairman Dr Irvin Khoza opened up about the financial sacrifices Orlando Pirates and Kaizer Chiefs made in the league's early years
- Khoza revealed the PSL was reduced from 18 to 16 teams as an austerity measure when the league was on the brink of collapse
- Both Pirates and Chiefs went without payment for two months to ensure smaller clubs received their money first
PAY ATTENTION: Mark Briefly News as a preferred source, and our content will appear higher in your Google feed!
Premier Soccer League chairman Dr Irvin Khoza has spoken candidly about the financial hardships endured by Orlando Pirates and Kaizer Chiefs during the PSL's formative years, revealing details that have rarely been discussed publicly.
Speaking to iDiski Times senior writer Matshelane Mamabolo as the league marks its 30th anniversary, Khoza described how the two giants of South African football voluntarily surrendered financial advantages that could have given them a dominant edge over rival clubs.
**Pirates and Chiefs Gave Up Gate Revenue**
PAY ATTENTION: You can now search for all your favourite news and topics on Briefly News.
Under the structure that preceded the PSL, Pirates and Chiefs benefited enormously from travelling supporters who filled opposition stadiums, often generating more income for the home club than the visiting side received. Rather than preserve that leverage, both clubs agreed to a model in which each team retained its own gate takings and broadcasting revenue replaced ticket sales as the primary income stream.
"People don't understand the sacrifices we made," Khoza told iDiski Times. "We could easily have protected that advantage. Instead, we decided clubs should keep their own gate takings and that broadcasting — not ticket sales — should become football's main income stream."
He framed the decision as a responsibility that came with market leadership. "If you're the market leader, as we both were due to our clubs, you have a responsibility to strengthen the market. That's where our philosophy came from. Compete for 90 minutes. Cooperate afterwards."
**Why the PSL Was Cut to 16 Teams**
Khoza also addressed the league's reduction from 18 to 16 clubs, confirming it was driven by financial necessity at a time when the PSL's survival was genuinely uncertain. During that period, Pirates and Chiefs agreed to go without their allocated funds for two months so that smaller clubs could be paid first.
"We had to do it for austerity measures. And during that period, Pirates and Chiefs even went unpaid for two months," Khoza said. "We said the other clubs must receive their money first because if they collapsed, the league collapsed. Those are the sacrifices people never see."
Reflecting on three decades of the PSL, Khoza suggested the league's most significant achievement was not its television contracts or titles won, but the institution itself and the cooperative principles on which it was built.
PAY ATTENTION: Follow Briefly News on Twitter and never miss the hottest topics! Find us at @brieflyza!
Source: Briefly News
