THE Castle Lager Premiership match between CAPS United and Highlanders tomorrow at the National Sports Stadium is one of the biggest fixtures on the local calendar. The big game comes at a time when the Premier Soccer League (PSL) is finding it difficult to attract fans back to the stadiums.
The domestic premiership finds itself in direct competition for attention mainly with the English Premiership. Things have also not been helped due to the mushrooming of sports betting houses and the new gambling phenomena which is giving access and more attachment to the foreign leagues.
Local fans have been limited to 30 percent stadium capacity under the country’s Covid-19 protocols. However, even before the Covid-19 outbreak, the local game had since begun to feel the heat and attendance figures had been dwindling.
The development had been attributed to the economic meltdown, the ever falling standards of local game as well as the EPL counter-attractions.
Normally, everywhere in the world, fans would want to get value for their money.
The outbreak of Covid-19 hit the game hard as fans were initially not allowed in the stadiums when the domestic Premiership returned last year during the Chibuku Super Cup.
But while the government relaxed the measures allowing a limited number of fully vaccinated fans to return to the stadiums, from the look of things, the difference is the same if not worse.
Traditional PSL giants Dynamos, Highlanders and CAPS United, who normally enjoy a huge following are also finding it hard to attract fans in the seven matches they have played so far.
The development leaves the PSL with a huge task to raise the bar and ensure they attract fans back to the stadiums. The PSL would have started by ensuring proper marketing strategies for the CAPS United, Highlanders tie, which is one of the country’s biggest fixtures. The league would have engaged in different promotional events through different media platforms to market the match. Sadly, for PSL they are treating the game just like any other ordinary fixture, to them it was a non-event and chances are very high very few fans will as usual attend the game. It is a different case when one looks across the Limpopo in the Dstv Premier League.
While a limited number just like here is allowed to attend matches, a lot is being done to ensure fans remain connected to the game and are invited to come together to feel, hear and touch football.
Through this season’s reinvigorated tagline — Babize Bonke, Bazozw’iDiski — fans can participate in different activities that allow them to “feel the game”.
Only God knows what stops our local league to market their product and bring back fans to the stadiums.
It’s high time the PSL finds a lasting solution to avoid detrimental effects in the future.
