The South African Football Association (Safa) today (29/05) conducted the draw for the 2023 ABC Motsepe League’s national promotion play-offs, reserving the name of the Free State team. This is due to ongoing saga involving Bloemfontein-based outfits Mangaung Unite and Black Cross over improper registration of two players.
The aggrieved club, Mangaung has challenged the controversial, unfavourable outcome of arbitration and Safa’s provincial disciplinary hearing regarding the improper registration of two players by Black Cross FC, namely Kamogelo Wolf and Theko Thako.
Unite is seeking to overturn the ruling made on a “technicality of time frame”, neglecting concrete evidence and merits of their cases regarding the registration of the two players without a Fifa International Transfer Certificate (ITC) from Lesotho’s football outfit, Bantu FC.
The two cases between Mangaung and Black Cross have been fraught with adverse controversies with Safa, the second respondent in the matter, raising queries.
Mangaung lodged the dispute regarding Wolf last year in November, alleging he was registered without a Fifa ITC from Bantu, the team he briefly played for. In the event of this, the club lodged a second dispute regarding Thako, on the same basis as Wolf’s case.
On 7 March, Daniel Thulo, Safa Free State disciplinary chairperson, ruled in favour of Black Cross despite the club admitting Wolf had been registered improperly.
In Thako’s case, the matter was dismissed, citing procedural flaws from Safa and notices from the federation that were vague. This means Black Cross does not forfeit points gained in all matches they fielded the players in question. This is contrary to a case referenced to in 2012, which saw Free State team Carara Kicks relegated after 18 points were docketed by the Premier Soccer League’s (PSL) disciplinary committee. The club was found guilty of fielding an improperly registered player, Thembile Taliwe. He was found to have been registered without clearance from Emfuleni Real Barcelona.
Safa and Mangaung, as well as Black Cross, are awaiting the outcome of judgement which will provide the Free State team going to this year’s national promotion play-offs, starting on 6 June in KwaZulu Natal.
