Khoza on the thorny issue of succession plan and advice for legends

Whoever takes over from the Premier Soccer League (PSL) Chairman Irvin Khoza should be someone with a heart in the right place.

This was his message to the 32 members in the National Soccer League (NSL) last week, as he responded to a question about the succession plan and the future of leadership at the PSL.

Khoza warned members to choose wisely when looking at his successor and not go for people who have personal agendas.

Now serving in his 19th year as the Chairman of the league, he recalled how one of their former CEO™s planned a failed coup d'état.

œWhen I became chairman nobody thought I would be chairman. Time was a determiner and we cannot force-feed a solution cause these are the members of the organisation for them to have taken a decision that time to change a constitution for me to be given a chance to serve their interest and I said to myself when they came to me with a question-it dawn in my mind to say they are saying I must be a chairman because now they want somebody with the skin in the game cause all along people that were employed somewhere, independent people but they had no understanding of the environment of the ecosystem now we are given that menu to say no you must have independent people they™ve got agendas also".

"I remember one CEO we appointed years back he went to all the clubs here, said this Irvin Khoza and Kaizer (Motaung) must go they he is hardly six month in the job this Irvin Khoza and Kaizer must go they not God now imagine we™ve invested our lives in the business where we spend from our pockets not from grants from somewhere but the guy decides because of his plans, they are not the plans of the members who wants somebody who wants to assist them in advancing in the cost of their business. It™s not a easy job that™s why I tell my members I already pray for who™s gonna take over cause you™ve got to have your heart at the right place said Khoza.

Are PSL clubs over reliant on Khoza?

The issue of a succession plan in football has always been a thorny issue and leaders tend to avoid the subject altogether.

So at the recent PSL elections in 2020, there was a feeling that the youth within the league got a raw deal after most of those who had expected to make the PSL Executive Committee couldn™t get the required number of votes.

But Khoza is confident that there™s enough experience within the league to find his successor when the time comes.

By Velile Mnyandu