Bafana Bafana legend Benni McCarthy has lauded the PSL’s great organisation and financial strength which he feels is now being felt throughout the continent.
McCarthy says the PSL is now a lucrative place for both South African players and those from other countries thanks to the good salaries offered, which is down to how well it is being run.
“The league is run fantastically; it is very organised [and] financially is very lucrative for the teams as well. Teams can afford to pay players decent wages that they do not need to go abroad,” McCarthy told CGTN Africa.
Why is Benni impressed by PSL?
“Now you can make a living playing in the South African league and have a good life so the league has become very competitive with lots of competitions, a great young generation of players coming through and being given opportunities.”
Bafana Bafana’s leading scorer, who is now the Kenya national team coach, feels it is because of the growing financial muscle of the PSL that South African teams are beginning to make a great impact in CAF competitions.
PSL teams have had a great run on the continent this season with Mamelodi Sundowns in the CAF Champions League final while Pirates made it to the semi-final as Stellenbosch who reached the last four of the Confederation Cup for the first time in their history.
Bafana legend happy with stability in SA
“The league is really on a high and because of that, teams have stability, they are stable, and financially sought after so everything is falling really nicely for South African football and that is why you see the success in CAF competitions,” he added.
“For South Africa, finally very happy that my country is settled and they are reaching the heights where they are supposed to.”
The PSL is now attracting players from not just Africa but South American and European teams with top sides like Sundowns, Pirates and Kaizer Chiefs paying massive wages.
South Africa’s league also has the highest prize money in Africa with this season’s PSL winners set to pocket R20 million an increase from the R15 million that was being paid out before the new lucrative deal with betting firm Betway.
