Get your CVs out, your country needs you

WANTED: For South African soccer two good men and true. One to head the SA Football Association, the other to run the Professional Soccer League. Both men must, above all else, want to serve the game in every aspect and be prepared to put its welfare above their own.

That's an ad that ought to be placed, as a matter of urgency, in local and overseas papers to rescue a game that is rapidly going into a tailspin for want of strong hands on the tiller.

Take a look at the situation, administration first. Safa, soccer's parent body has no CEO. Yes, it has a Chief Operations Officer in Albert Mokoena. But can it honestly be said of this admittedly helpful official that the buck stops with him?

I think not. The hopeless mess Safa has got itself into in the Hellenic affair is clear evidence of this. What's needed is a disciplinarian in the Trevor Phillips mould to wade in and sort out the matter without fear or favour.

Now let's take a peek at the playing side of affairs.

Although the league finally started in Durban last night with the season's first fixture between Manning Rangers and Dynamos, with a full complement of three games scheduled for tomorrow and three more on Wednesday, the PSL finds itself in the parlous situation of possibly having to pronounce last season's outcome null and void.

You don't believe this is possible? Well, lend me your ear.

The current premiership champions, Santos, have still to appear before a PSL Disciplinary Committee to answer charges of fielding an ineligible player last season. Bit late in the day but that's the situation. More comedy follows.

This week the PSL proclaimed the "champions" Santos still have to face a charge laid against them by a team that no longer exists!

The PSL, before the season's kick-off, decided it would be in the game's best interests to buy out two of the 18 clubs and reduce the number to 16. Well and good, was the consensus of opinion.

But now it turns out that one of the clubs that no longer exists, Ria Stars, is responsible for the charge against Santos.

Here's some background. Santos midfielder, Jean-Sebastien Bax, was sent off in a league match against Jomo Cosmos last season, but a referees' review committee later overturned the decision after viewing videos of the incident.

However, two clubs, Ria Stars and AmaZulu, protested that the referees' body had no right to exonerate Bax because the match referee's decision is final and binding. The two clubs argued that Bax, therefore, should still have served a suspension after being sent off, which he did not.

AmaZulu later withdrew their protest, but Ria Stars, who no longer exist, persisted with theirs. The supreme irony is that Bax didn't even play against Ria Stars, yet the club still protested.

Should this really be taken that seriously? Apparently the PSL thinks so. It will not be swept under the carpet, an official source has indicated. The source added: "The PSL has not forgotten the matter. It will come before the DC soon... within the next fortnight.

"There are issues surrounding the case that need to be sorted out," the source emphasised. "Because Ria Stars are no longer in existence doesn't mean the case falls by the wayside."

Towards the end of the season there were calls for Santos to be docked points... then the issue seemed to fizzle out, only for it to rear its head again this week.

The Cape club has already received its prize money and the players have their medals. What happens if the league decides to take action against Santos?

What a lovely mess - and Alice thought she'd tumbled into a weird world with characters like the March Hare and the Mad Hatter!

Good men and true, get your CVs out. Your country needs you!