The Safa bosses are watching with keen interest the developments between the country’s professional soccer wing, the PSL, and Kaizer Chiefs.
News reaching Sunday World is that PSL lawyers (Webber Wentzel) have written to Amakhosi’s legal representatives informing them of their intention to have the Safa arbitration award in favour of Chiefs reviewed.
Last week, Safa arbitrator Advocate Nazeer Cassim SC ruled that the two league matches that Chiefs did not honour in December, after the club headquarters in Naturena was ravaged by Covid-19, must be played.
Cassim declared that it would have been “negligent, if not reckless” if Amakhosi took to the field after 31 staff members were infected.
Chiefs had asked the PSL executive committee to postpone the matches against Cape Town City and Golden Arrows, but the request was declined.
An informant has revealed that Safa arbitration awards are supposed to be final and binding, and that the PSL’s latest move could be seen as undermining the arbitration process.
“Safa and the league are the regulators of football and they must not be seen as taking a stand or position.
“Who is going to have confidence in the Safa arbitration processes going forward?” the mole asked.
Safa CEO Tebogo Motlanthe said he could not comment.
“Our role there was just to convene the arbitration.”
A statement from Chiefs read: “Kaizer Chiefs is shocked and bewildered by the recent news reaching the club. Despite a lack of formal communication from the league…the club has been informed of the PSL executive committee’s resolution to review the arbitration award of Cassim SC, handed down on 18 March.
“The arbitration award correctly decided that the interruption in the club’s performance for the two missed December fixtures was temporarily halted by an overwhelming, unanticipated and unpreventable event created by Omicron. It appears the league is dissatisfied with the outcome and intends to review it, with a view of setting aside the award in the high court…
“In doing so the league is in breach of its own constitution and rules as well as Safa statutes which frown upon [using] the court systems for resolving football disputes. The club will have no choice but to defend such a challenge.”
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