High noon showdown for Ria Stars and PSL

The Premier Soccer League (PSL) on Wednesday night issued an ultimatum to Ria Stars - honour the Telkom Charity Cup fixture as rescheduled or face the music.

In fact PSL PRO Andrew Dipela said the Pietersburg club must indicate by noon on Thursday whether or not they will play Moroka Swallows at 10am on Saturday.

Despite protestations by Stars, Dipela said the Charity Cup committee stood by its decision that Ria Stars face Swallows in the first game with Kaizer Chiefs taking on Orlando Pirates at noon on Saturday.

There is already speculation in soccer circles that if Stars fail to comply they could be kicked out and replaced by Sundowns who finished fifth on the voting list.

At the initial draw for the one-day soccer tournament on Monday, Pirates and Chiefs were supposed to play at 10am while Stars were scheduled to face Swallows at noon.

But the PSL decided to switch the kick-off times around, expressing fears that there could be a stampede with fans scrambling for tickets if the Pirates-Chiefs game started early

But on Wednesday night Ria Stars co-director Ria Ledwaba was adamant the team would not play in the first game.

Ledwaba said in terms of the rules and regulations, the draw indicated they would play in the second game and so it will be.

Ledwaba said she knew the rules and regulations of the Charity Cup and the PSL must not apply them only when it suited them.

"I had a cordial discussion with PSL CEO Robin Petersen and I suggested to him that the kickoff times can be delayed by an hour so that the opening game can be played at 11am instead of 10am.

"He claimed that starting the tournament at 11am could result in players having little time to rest. He requested me to put my proposal in writing, which I have done and I'm waiting for his response."

When told that the cup committee had taken a decision and had insisted that she give them an undertaking by noon on Thursday that she would honour the game, Ledwaba was livid.

"That working committee is not even properly constituted," she claimed.

"I know the rules and I know who is supposed to constitute the working committee and the current one is unconstitutional and therefore cannot take such decisions.

"I will not be cowed into silence. I will challenge these decisions. I will not sit back and allow myself to be pushed around. We are not prepared to compromise our image nor allow the rights of 52 000 people who voted for us to be trampled."

When asked if she did not share the organiser's fears regarding crowd safety, Ledwaba replied: "I sympathise with the PSL and accept their fears.

"But why announce publicly that we have agreed to the changes before they had even discussed the matter with us?"