All of Royal AM’s upcoming matches in the Betway Premiership, including their scheduled clash against Orlando Pirates at the Harry Gwala Stadium on Thursday night, have been temporarily suspended by the PSL.
This suspension also extends to their Nedbank Cup Round of 32 match against Milford FC, which was set to take place on Sunday, 26 January at the same stadium.
Royal AM, owned by businesswoman Shauwn ‘MaMkhize’ Mkhize, haven’t played a league match since their 3-1 loss to TS Galaxy on 29 December. Their fixture against Chippa United, originally scheduled for 11 January, was called off after reports that players and staff went on strike due to unpaid salaries.
The PSL issued a statement explaining that Royal AM had informed the league on 9 January that they couldn’t fulfill their commitments for the Chippa United match due to complications with the appointment of a curator.
“The executive committee held three meetings to ensure the club could meet its obligations, but by 17 January, no satisfactory assurances had been received. The committee was informed that a letter of comfort from both the club’s management and the curator would be submitted to confirm that the issues preventing the club from fulfilling its commitments had been resolved. However, this letter has not been provided, leading the PSL to cancel the Royal AM vs Orlando Pirates match and suspend all other fixtures until further notice,” the statement read.
It remains unclear whether Royal AM’s presentation to the PSL on Friday will result in a resolution.
Royal AM has also been in the spotlight for financial struggles. Last year, SARS raided Mkhize’s houses in Durban, seizing luxury cars in an attempt to recover a R40 million tax debt. The club also faced salary delays for both November and December.
Additionally, Royal AM remains under a FIFA transfer ban after failing to pay R15 million owed to striker Samir Nurkovic, preventing them from signing new players.
In October 2024, the PSL had already suspended the club’s DStv Diski Challenge team due to a shortage of players.
Currently, Royal AM is struggling in the league, sitting in 15th place out of 16 teams, with only eight points from 11 matches. They have scored just five goals while conceding 15, and their future in the league looks uncertain unless they can resolve their financial and operational issues.
