Once a competitive force in the Premiership, Royal AM's ongoing financial and administrative turmoil has cast a shadow over both league and cup competitions.
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AS THE 2024/25 Betway Premiership reaches its business end, off-field issues have taken centre stage, particularly surrounding the troubled KwaZulu-Natal club, Royal AM.
Once a competitive force in the Premiership, the club's ongoing financial and administrative turmoil has cast a shadow over both league and cup competitions. With curatorship imposed by SARS and fixtures left unfulfilled, the PSL and their stakeholders now face difficult decisions that could reshape the outcome of the season – from title races and Top 8 ambitions to the relegation battle at the foot of the table.
Thwihli Thwahla last featured in a PSL encounter in a 3-1 loss against TS Galaxy. Since then, the club has been placed under curatorship, due to an alleged R40 million tax debt. This has resulted in a halt to their participation in domestic competitions and ongoing issues, including financial challenges that have led to unpaid salaries for both staff and players.
All of Milford FC, Sekhukhune United and Mamelodi Sundowns were left waiting, as fixtures began to pile up in the Nedbank Cup. The NSL executive committee were left with little choice but to pull the plug on the KZN club’s participation in the competition.
Swiftly, and with some costly adjustments – especially to an already congested 2024/25 schedule – the quarter-final and semi-final fixtures were finalised, with the Brazilians set to face Kaizer Chiefs in the semi-final this Sunday.
It has been a different case altogether when it comes to the league fixtures, and it hasn’t been as straightforward. When their issues began, they had already played eleven matches. The PSL executive committee recommended earlier this month that the club’s membership be cancelled, referring the matter to the Board of Governors (BoG) of the league.
On Thursday, the BoG will convene to decide on Royal AM’s league membership, with all PSL and NFD Motsepe Foundation sides set to have their say on the club’s future.
Should the vote go against the KZN club, the decision could have major implications at both ends of the table. If it is decided that the season proceeds with only 15 teams, all points gained or lost against Thwihli Thwahla would be nullified.
Sundowns secured a 2-1 win when the two sides met in October last year. As they currently enjoy a 12-point gap over Orlando Pirates, having three points deducted from their 58 could result in Pirates drawing level – should they win all their games in hand.
Sekhukhune United and TS Galaxy would be among the biggest losers in the race for continental football and Top 8 spots. Losing three points could drag them back into the mid-table battle, handing Stellenbosch FC a significant advantage.
Just like Pirates, Stellenbosch were yet to play Thwihli Thwahla.
In the bottom half of the table, SuperSport United’s problems could be compounded as they would stand to lose a point – a greater loss than it appears, as every point is crucial in the fight for survival.
A small consolation for them is that Cape Town City (1-1), Richards Bay FC (0-0) and Magesi FC (0-0) would also each lose one point due to draws earlier in the season. Marumo Gallants would emerge as the biggest beneficiaries in the tightly contested relegation battle.
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