Johannesburg – The SA Football Association (Safa) has once again entered the fray of the ongoing impasse between the country’s football professional wing, the PSL, and first division club Royal AM after the soccer outfit insisted it will fight its right to gain promotion to the Premiership in courts.
The national football association’s CEO Tebogo Motlante told the SABC News that it was improper for the club, owned by wealthy Durban-based businesswoman Shauwn Mkhize and his son Andile Mpisane, to take their promotion dispute to the courts of law.
“As Safa we had said despite all these rights that are enshrined in the constitution which we cannot go against, the arbitration awards are binding, and I think the decision of judge Sutherland has proven in a way what we’ve been saying and as we have said to all key stakeholders when you take a football matter to an ordinary court of law they take their own time,” said Motlanthe.
Royal AM are aggrieved after they were declared runners-up in GladAfrica Championship second tier league following the awarding of three points to Sekhukhune United after the latter protested against Polokwane City not abide to the ruling to include five Under-23 players in their team sheet.
Consequently, Sekhukhune leapfrogged them into first place and the Limpopo-based side was eventually declared champions by the PSL after the awarding of the three points by both the arbitrator advocate Hilton Epstein SC and Judge Roland Sutherland, who upheld the arbitration outcome.
The defiant Royal AM argues they won the first division league on the field of play as they celebrated their promotion after the last match of the season with trophies and medals they had bought.
Sekhukhune’s gain put Royal AM in an awkward position of having to contest the off-season promotion/relegation play-offs currently underway.
To exacerbate the already volatile situation between the PSL and Royal AM, Mkhize’s team failed to play their home game of the revised play-off fixtures against Chippa United on Tuesday, although they did make an appearance at the match venue.
“For instance, the appeal court does not have an urgency role if it takes two months who does it affect? it affects everyone. The arbitration award is final and binding if people are not happy they can go to Zurich and appeal it because they at least they know the urgency. We know how congested is our court rolls in this country with State Capture referring cases there so once it gets out of control of football it’s going to prejudice players it’s going to prejudice clubs. We condemn the usage of the ordinary court of law to resolve football disputes,” Motlanthe told the SABC News.
The PSL has been mum on what disciplinary action they will take against Royal AM or perhaps they are playing a wait and see game until conclusion of the play-off is anyone’s guess.
PLAY-OFF FIXTURES
Thursday, June 24: Royal AM v Richards Bay (Chatsworth, 3pm) – Postponed
Saturday, June 26: Richards Bay v Chippa United (Umhlathuze, 3pm)
Monday, June 28: Richards Bay v Royal AM (Umhlathuze, 3pm)
Wednesay June 30: Chippa United v Royal AM (Nelson Mandela Bay, 3pm).
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