<
>

South African football confirms return with Nedbank Cup seminals on August 8, PSL resumes three days later

Gustavo Paez of Kaizer Chiefs challenged by Lesenya Ramoraka of Highlands Park Samuel Shivambu/BackpagePix

South Africa's domestic football competitions will resume on Aug. 8, the latest of Africa's major leagues to announce a return to play after suspension caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.

All matches will be played in a secure bubble environment in Johannesburg and Pretoria, and will be behind closed doors. Fans are unlikely to be allowed back into venues this year with the country yet to reach its peak of infections.

The season will get back under way with the semifinals of the domestic FA Cup competition, the Nedbank Cup, before the Premier Soccer League (PSL) resumes three days later on Aug. 11.

Kaizer Chiefs lead the PSL title race by four points from second-placed Mamelodi Sundowns, who have a game in hand and nine matches still to play.

South Africa has recorded the fifth-highest number of COVID-19 cases in the world at 445,433, as of Sunday, though it has a comparatively low death count of 6,769.

Morocco's domestic league restarted on Monday, while Egyptian domestic football is set to resume on Aug. 6 as African nations get to grips with how to continue sporting activities through the pandemic.