Three-time league winner Afzal Khan and Santos FC boss Goolam Allie have hailed the progress done by the PSL leaders, especially the prize money, which is now R20 million compared to the R500 000 when the league was launched in 1996.
Manning Rangers were the first winners of the PSL at the end of the 1996/97 season, guided by coach Gordon Igesund.
They received R500 000 for their efforts. Fast forward to 2024, the winner of the Betway Premiership title will take home R20 million. The grants to the clubs have also seen an improvement from a reported R100 000 when the league was officially launched to the current R2.3 million monthly grant.
Khan, who won league titles working as team manager at Manning Rangers, Santos FC and Mamelodi Sundowns, says despite the economic factors determining prize money over the years, there has been a massive jump in terms of how the league was to what it is now.
FORMER PSL CLUB ADMINISTRATOR AFZAL KHAN HAS HAILED THE PROGRESS MADE BY THE LEAGUE OVER THE YEARS
“The Premier League in the 1996/97 season was the start of true professional football in this country,” Khan told FARPost.
“They also really set the yardstick where clubs can get grants, and an equal share of gate takings was done away with home teams.
“The initial prize money of Manning Rangers winning the inaugural Premier League in 1997 was R 500 000. But at that time, it was a fair amount of money. The league in the past 28 years has been phenomenal.”
“Dr Irvin Khoza has been the driving force and the visionary behind the Premier Soccer League. It has grown to be one of the top leagues in the world. Now, with the Betway Premiership prize money at R20 million, it is absolutely phenomenal. So there has been a massive jump in the league times, and it has grown in big strides.”
SANTOS FC BOSS ACKNOWLEDGES THE GROWTH AND IMPACT OF THE PSL OVER THE YEARS
Allie, whose team received R 1.4 million for winning a league title 22 years ago, has commended the PSL for having increased the amount.
“I think it shows how far we have progressed. I will always say compliments to someone like Dr Khoza,” Allie told FARPost.
“He was always around when everything was rolling together with a lot of these guys in the executive. It doesn’t mean that they are flawless. It doesn’t mean that all of us were flawless during our time there.
“We all made mistakes, and we all could have done better, maybe. But if you look at the progress that has been made, we can not deny that a lot has been done under this leadership of Dr Khoza.”
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