South Africa-PSL puts forward 11 playing venues in Johannesburg and Pretoria for the restart of the season

The Premier Soccer League (PSL) has put forward 11 playing venues in Johannesburg and Pretoria for the resumption of the 2019-20 Absa Premiership season.

The league‚ in its Board of Governors (BoG) meeting on Thursday‚ included FNB Stadium‚ Ellis Park‚ Bidvest Stadium‚ Orlando Stadium and Loftus Versfeld among its playing venues for a resumption of football behind closed doors.

The date named for the kickoff of matches‚ in a document seen by TimesLIVE‚ is this Saturday (July 18).

The document also lists 14 training venues‚ where there are 21 fields available.

The complete list of playing venues named is:

* FNB Stadium

* Orlando Stadium

* Dobsonville Stadium

* Rand Stadium

* Makhulong Stadium

* Ellis Park

* Bidvest Stadium

* Loftus Versfeld Stadium

* Lucas Moripe Stadium

* University of Pretoria Stadium

* Tsakane Stadium

The training venues named are:

* Marks Park‚ Johannesburg - four fields

* Wanderers‚ Johannesburg - two fields

* St Stithians‚ Johannesburg - two fields

* Fourways High‚ Johannesburg - two fields

* Johannesburg Stadium‚ Johannesburg

* Ruimsig Stadium‚ Johannesburg

* Auckland Park Stadium (UJ)‚ Johannesburg

* Chris Hani Stadium (UJ)‚ Johannesburg

* Loftus Versfeld‚ Pretoria - two fields

* University of Pretoria‚ Tshwane

* Pilditch Stadium‚ Pretoria

* TUT Stadium‚ Pretoria

* Germiston Stadium‚ Ekurhuleni

* Vosloorus Stadium‚ Ekurhuleni

The 16 Premiership teams‚ their players‚ technical staff and all officials related to the matches will be based in a biologically safe environment (BSE)‚ quarantined in hotels‚ and only travel to the sanitised training grounds and stadiums and back.

Everyone who enters the BSE will not be allowed to leave until the matches to finish the 2019-20 season‚ including the Nedbank Cup semifinals and final‚ have been completed.

The PSL and South African Football Association (Safa) will meet on Monday‚ further to a meeting held on Friday‚ to discuss the return to play.

PSL chairman Irvin Khoza is also scheduled for a virtual press conference‚ televised on SuperSport‚ at noon on Monday.

It remains to be seen if Safa will have objections to the venues and schedule.

The PSL and Safa have reportedly already disagreed on who should be the chief compliance officer of the BSE‚ and the go-ahead for the return to training last week of the clubs apparently took place without Safa oversight‚ as instructed by Sports Minister Nathi Mthethwa.

Kaizer Chiefs led the Premiership by four points from second-placed defending champions Mamelodi Sundowns when football was suspended due to the coronavirus on March 16.