Sport News South Africa

Pirates, PSL and SAFA: conflict of interest for 'Iron Duke' Khoza

Sports Central's Neal Collins says it's time to address problems in the Premier Soccer League (PSL), arguably the richest league on the continent. "It's time," he says "to ask salient questions about the all-powerful Irvin Khoza."

In the past, Collins said that the 'Iron Duke' should step down from his position of PSL chairman as soon as possible, for the sake of the game.

64-year-old Khoza is a "political genius, a master of diplomacy". He now holds a majority interest in the Orlando Stadium, has vast power within The South African Football Association (SAFA), and decides the direction of the national team. After a successful 2010 World Cup, Khoza was able to focus on Orlando Pirates "and they promptly picked up two successive trebles." The conflict of interest inherent in Khoza's position as the major power at Orlando Pirates, the PSL and SAFA shouldn't need to be explained, Collins says.

He fears that, if South African football is run as a monopoly, with the chairman having direct links to the president of the country, then FIFA and/or CAF may decide to take drastic action, Sports Central's Neal Collins says, "Just as they threw Tunisia's Etoile Sahel out of the African League."

Read the full article on http://www.sportscentral.co.za

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