Is the PSL Playing Favorites? Herentals Fans Demand Answers

Football lovers are raising serious questions over what appears to be selective justice within the Premier Soccer League (PSL) following the heavy sanctions imposed on Herentals FC.

The club has been ordered to play its home matches behind closed doors, a punishment that not only deprives players of fan support but also strips the club of vital gate revenue. For many, this decision feels unnecessarily harsh when compared to how other clubs have been treated for even worse offences.

Take Highlanders FC, for example. Over the years, the Bulawayo giants have been involved in repeated incidents of crowd violence, pitch invasions, and match abandonments, including last year’s infamous clash against Dynamos at Barbourfields Stadium and the Chibuku Super Cup quarter final against Simba Bhora. Despite those chaotic scenes, Highlanders were only fined between US$5,000 and US$6,000, and their fans continue to attend matches freely.

In sharp contrast, Herentals previously faced a staggering fine in another case and are now once again hit with some of the toughest penalties in the league’s recent history.

This glaring disparity in punishment has sparked widespread debate among football supporters, many of whom believe the PSL’s disciplinary measures are inconsistent and unfairly harsh toward certain teams. Some have even gone further to question whether Herentals’ punishment is conveniently helping to shape the relegation battle, with Yadah FC currently struggling in the danger zone.

Fans are demanding transparency and fairness from the league’s disciplinary committee. They insist football must be governed by clear, equal rules not perceived favouritism.

In the spirit of true sportsmanship, supporters say the PSL must prove that no team is above the law and that punishment should always fit the offence, not the name on the badge.