Yet another Premier Soccer League club has scored boardroom points as the drama unfolds in the pursuit to secure top-flight promotion!
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The Siya crew is in possession of the 19-page ruling awarding Sekhukhune United three points, having emerged victorious in their protest against Polokwane City after the Limpopo outfit did not have a total of five u/23 players in their squad.
With SA hit by the second wave of the Coronavirus pandemic, it’s understood City’s squad was hard hit, which led to them violating the PSL handbook by not having the full quota of players that age in their GladAfrica Championship clash early in January.
They did, however, keep the required minimum two u/23 players on the pitch at all times, and it’s thought this is the point the club’s legal aid tried to highlight during heads of argument.
City won the match 1-0, though it was played under protest.
It took several months, but the ruling, which Siya sources said was handed down by an independent arbitrator, was finally issued on Wednesday and throws a complete spanner in the works heading into the last day of the season on Sunday.
As things stand, Royal AM are top of the standings and only need a point to secure promotion to the DStv Premiership for next season.
But if the ruling is enforced and carries weight, then it’s Sekhukhune who will go into the final day of the campaign at the summit and would need a win to keep it that way.
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They were three points behind Royal AM and set for a promotion/relegation play-off prior to their boardroom triumph!
It’s understood the PSL is contemplating appealing this ruling as it could set a precedent for future cases and lead to disgruntled member clubs who feel protests of a similar nature in the past were handled differently.
The Siya crew attempted to get comment from Mato Madlala, the league’s acting CEO, but her phone rang unanswered – probably because the league is considering alternative options as the ruling would sully it’s reputation.
But the media department did later on issue a statment indicating that the PSL had noted the ruling and its executive committee would meet on Thursday to map a way forward.
For a number of years now, the promotion/relegation play-offs have been decided in the boardoom with last minute drama of protests, and this appears to follow the pattern.
Story by @superjourno
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