Various heads of PSL teams have spoken of a need for the Soweto giants to dominate the PSL and here are the reasons
Bosses of various PSL clubs are now coming out openly to express their desire to see either Kaizer Chiefs or Orlando Pirates winning the league.
Cape Town City chairman John Comitis waded into the issue on Wednesday, saying how a strong Chiefs or Pirates is good for the league, while his TS Galaxy counterpart Tim Sukazi said the same in July after selling goalkeeper Fiacre Ntwari to the Glamour Boys.
It is surprising that rival clubs would rather either of the Soweto giants win the league and not their own teams, or even current champions Mamelodi Sundowns, but they have cited business interest as the main reason.
What have they said?
“To me, and I know I’m speaking against myself, but when Chiefs and Pirates isn’t up there, we [City] can feel the down, as a team that is not Chiefs or Pirates,” Comitis told Sports Night Amplified with Andile on Wednesday.
“When Chiefs and Pirates are winning, the stadiums are full and it’s a snowball effect.”
“I believe in SA football having a strong Kaizer Chiefs that is of a high standard, and Ntwari is the type of goalkeeper that will be able to contribute to their project. We cannot have a weak Chiefs, whether you and I like it or not,” Sukazi told SABC Sport in July.
Chiefs and Pirates have been disappointing in the PSL in the last decade, the Buccaneers’ last league title arriving last in 2012, while Amakhosi last won it nine years ago.
It is Sundowns who have dominated the league instead, winning the last seven crowns, and are considered favourites for a ‘perfect eight’ in 2024-25.
But while Sudowns have been winning, the rest of the PSL have not felt the effects with the returns low, as the Brazilians are not as huge as the Soweto giants.
So, why do other PSL clubs want either Pirates or Chiefs at the top of the tree as opposed to Sundowns?
Brand value
Kaizer Chiefs and Orlando Pirates are the most supported clubs in South Africa and as such, their brands are stronger than any other team.
Chiefs are the most popular club in the country with an estimated fanbase of 16 million while Pirates are second with nine million. It therefore becomes easy to sell the league when either of them are winning.
While it might not be accurate to compare, Chiefs are like Manchester United in the Premier League as while Manchester City have been dominating the league, the pull to brands is not as big when the Cityzens triumph compared to when the Red Devils are on top.
The same can be said of Chiefs and Pirates who would make the PSL more marketable if they were the teams winning the league as sponsors would fall over themselves to be associated with the league, allowing organisers and marketers to negotiate for bigger deals which means more money to the rest of the teams.
It is, however, different when it is Sundowns winning as they do not tick the fancy of big brands compared to the Soweto giants who represent a better value for money to the sponsors.
Huge fanbase
The big support base of Chiefs and Pirates means guaranteed viewership as fans would be streaming into the stadiums and following proceedings on various online platforms when either of the two are winning.
The high interest means the league can market itself far and wide, hence more money to the rest of the teams.
A full stadium would also guarantee great visibility to various brands that want to associate themselves with the league but that is unlikely to be the case when the two teams are struggling or if it is Sundowns on top.
Fan apathy has greatly contributed to the low numbers in the stadiums and besides sponsorship, clubs hardly make money from ticket sales.
Matchday income is one of the biggest revenue generators in world football but in South Africa, a sold-out crowd is only guaranteed during the Soweto derby.
Were Chiefs and Pirates vying for the league, supporters would fill the stadiums whenever and wherever they play, meaning other teams also benefit whenever they host either of the two.
Easy to market the league
The PSL would also find it easy to market the league if they had a strong Chiefs or Pirates given they are literally the face of South African football.
However, with their struggles, there is little interest from fans across South Africa and beyond, making the league less attractive and hence scare away potential investors who are not sure of what the return would be on their investment.
Increased competition
It cannot be said enough that a league win for Pirates or Chiefs would put great pressure on the other side to up their game which would be good for the league.
Chiefs would not lie down and watch Pirates dominate and Bucs supportEers cannot fathom Amakhosi at the top of the tree.
That would mean big-name signings, top coaches in the dugout in an effort to wrestle the title from their cross-town rivals, putting a great spotlight on the PSL.
It is not the same when Sundowns are dominating as there is a feeling that Chiefs and Pirates are comfortable to watch the Brazilians win rather than their rivals as there is less pressure.
