President Cyril Ramaphosa has given high praise to the Premier Soccer League (PSL) after a courtesy visit to its Parktown offices in Johannesburg. He met league chairman Dr Irvin Khoza and CEO Mato Madlala, and used the occasion to thank the organisation for its work and impact on the country.

Speaking to the media, Ramaphosa said the visit was simply to pay tribute to what the PSL has achieved. He described it as the best-organised league on the African continent and the one that runs South Africa’s most popular sporting code. “They are the best-organised league on the continent and running the most popular sporting code, which is football,” he said.

The President pointed out that football remains the top sport in the country. According to figures shared during the meeting, 77 percent of South Africans who follow sport support football, ahead of rugby and other codes. He added that the PSL’s business is effectively the happiness of the people. “He [Dr Khoza] was showing me the measurement; he says their business is the happiness index, that they deal in the happiness of people, and that is so true,” Ramaphosa explained.

He also singled out the Soweto Derby for special mention. Ramaphosa called the fixture between Orlando Pirates and Kaizer Chiefs the best derby on the continent and one that is recognised globally. He noted that the league has trademarked the match, calling it a great achievement for South Africa. “This is a great achievement for us as South Africans and so therefore, I wanted to come and say well done and keep doing well,” he said. He described the two clubs as iconic teams that form part of the country’s heritage.

The visit came shortly after a recent Soweto Derby, and Ramaphosa said he had hoped to attend the match to support both sides. He congratulated the PSL leadership on the way the league is run and on the joy it continues to bring to millions of South Africans. Dr Khoza thanked the President for the visit and the recognition.

Ramaphosa’s comments underline the central place football holds in South African life and the high regard in which the PSL is held for its organisation and contribution.

Source: https://x.com/KickOffMagazine/status/2117542437237174760