Kaizer Chiefs legend calls for higher PSL standards after World Cup

Tshabalala was one of FIFA’s high profile guests at the showpiece event in the Americas and got to see most of the action up close, and he says the PSL needs to take lessons from that competition. 

The former speedy winger played close to 350 games for Chiefs in 11 years, and gained global fame after scoring the opening goal of the 2010 FIFA World Cup.

"We all watched the World Cup and saw how entertaining it was. The level was too high, and it's a level we have to try and reach. It is important for us to learn from it, and besides the football on the pitch there were many other elements in the World Cup that we can learn from."

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Shabba, as Tshabalala is popularly known, says the fans are expecting nothing else except from highly entertaining football when the Betway Premiership kicks-off tomorrow. He implored all 16 teams to leave everything on the field every time they play in order to better the previous seasons.

He added that having a new defending champion in a long time will bring some excitement, and renew the supporters’ love for the game. Orlando Pirates pipped Mamelodi Sundowns to the title in May for the first time in eight years, and Tshabalala says they thoroughly deserved the glory.

"I'm looking forward to a great season and what all the sixteen teams have in store for us. It is especially exciting because we have new champions. Orlando Pirates have been playing very well and they deserved to win the league, but Mamelodi Sundowns will want to reclaim what was theirs for a very long time. We'll see how Pirates do as the hunted and not the hunters this time around."

His former team AmaKhosi had a decent finish to the campaign in third place, and he expects them to kick on from that and challenge the other big two.