Mbabane: Mbombela United boss Oupa Matsebula has said his side is against the PSL Arbitration ruling that have seen them docked 23 points, effectively getting relegated from the GladAfrica Championship.
The GladAfrica Championship is the official South Premier Soccer League (PSL) elite league feeder, commonly known as National First Division (NFD)
Despite finishing 14th on the 16-team league, Mbombela will now be relegated to the armature ABC Motsepe League after fielding Eswatini international Sabelo ‘Sikhali’ Ndzinisa all season while he was contracted to TS Sporting. During Sunday’s ruling, ‘Tingwenyama’ as Mbombela are fondly called were docked 23 points with ‘Sikhali’ facing a two-year ban from football.
TS Sporting finished 15th on the final NFD table due to an inferior goal difference to Mbombela as both sides ended on 32 points.
Unrepresented at the hearing, Mbombela missed their arbitration on Sunday where Advocate William Mkhari delivered the verdict. Mkhari famously ruled on the Tendai Ndoro case in 2018 that resulted in Ajax Cape Town being docked seven points as they were relegated to the NFD.
“The Mkhari process beat us, we only got the outcome now. But we are still looking at the outcome, all this was discussed in our absence so, we are considering our options,” Matsebula told KickOff.com.
“How can we show up if we are informed on a Friday that the sitting is on Sunday? What is the urgency when there is still two weeks left for the league to finish? We are not around, it’s Friday, some of us have got jobs you know,” a frustrated Matsebula told the leading soccer magazine.
Matsebula continued, describing the ruling as unfair because Mbombela were not represented.
“I mean all this time since we resumed playing, why the didn’t set a date. Even if you are a criminal you are given an opportunity to be represented on your side (in a court of law).”
Reached for comment, PSL prosecutor Nande Becker indicated that the verdict has already been reached and Matsebula might be swimming upstream.
“I recommended that a press release be prepared last night, so my hands are tied. It was urgent last night, it’s even more urgent now,” Becker says.
“I can tell you that the matter is finalised, the finding is in, and the sanctions are there as well. He [Matsebula] can do whatever he wants, if they are not recognising the verdict that’s a nice one.
“You can’t switch off your computer and your cellphone and then say something didn’t happen hey. But he never told us that Sunday’s sitting was short notice, did he?”
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