Is new Absa Cup one competition too many?

ECHAPHAZENI (On the penalty spot)
with MESULI ZIFO

THE debacle between clubs and Safa over the selection of players for national duty is set to rage on for some time after the introduction of yet another knockout competition this week.

The Absa Cup was launched this week replacing bank rivals' Bob Save Super Bowl which folded two years ago.

The inception of the Absa Cup comes at time when the domestic league is already congested with fixtures, culminating in clubs refusing to let their players answer national call-ups.

With the introduction of the Absa Cup there are now three knockout competitions in the country and that does not augur well for the smooth running of the domestic league.

Granted, the competitions provide clubs with options to increase their financial coffers when they cannot win the league.

But as PSL CEO Trevor Philips once attested in one of his speeches that in order to minimise squabbles with Safa over call-ups, competitions need to be streamlined.

Philips even insisted that the defunct Bob Save Super Bowl competition should not be replaced especially after the return of the BP Top Eight championship.

Admittedly the R1,5 million Absa is offering to winners will come in handy to cash-strapped clubs such as Bush Bucks, but with their energy already strained by battles to survive in the league or to qualify for the top eight, it remains to be seen if the money will land where it is really needed.

While proper running of the domestic league reflects the competency of soccer administration in the country, national team duties cannot be ignored.

Brazil's domestic league may not be regarded as one the best in the world but because of the strength of their national team, the samba-country is rated as the top footballing nation in the world.

Of all the championships, BP Top Eight is still the most logical in that it enhances the level of competition in the league as clubs all vie to make it onto the top eight bracket.

The Coca-Cola Cup carrying a whopping R2m for the winners also cannot be downplayed given the marketability it brings.

Besides the financial windfall, the soft drink company's involvement in soccer has increased the popularity of the game in leaps and bounds and that bodes well for the objective of the PSL executive committee to promote the PSL brand.

Whether Absa will make a significant impact on the game, besides the bucks they bring, remains to be seen.

But if they are content to be merely a Bob Save replacement, their presence will only be construed as an influx on the PSL.