Cape Town - It goes against the grain that a Premier Soccer League (PSL) team found guilty of the improper registration of a player has been let off scot-free.
Golden Arrows, a Premiership club owned by the acting chief executive officer (CEO) Mato Madlala, was found guilty of an improper player registration by the PSL disciplinary committee.
The general expectation was that Arrows would forfeit all the match points the club acquired when Brighton Mbhele played. As it turned out, Mbhele played in six Premiership matches and six points accrued in that period. He also played in two cup matches, the two legs of the MTN8 semi-final, which Arrows lost to eventual winners Mamelodi Sundowns.
The DC established that the registration and fielding of the player did not comply with the National Soccer League (NSL) handbook rules.
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Contrary to expectation, the acting Premier Soccer League prosecutor Zola Majavu has confirmed that Arrows will not be deducted points for the improper registration of a player. It goes against the well-established precedent that teams lose points if it fields an improperly registered player.
The relevant rule in Fifa disciplinary code says that the team to which the player belongs will be sanctioned by forfeiting the match. It follows that every match, that Mbhele played, should be awarded to the opposition with 3-0 margins. NSL handbook rules point to a similar sanction, which results in opposition teams declared 3-0 winners
Majavu said in a statement that the DC felt the "dishonest conduct" of Arrrows could not be proved by the league (PSL) and therefore did not warrant a points deduction.
It surely is a conflict of interest by the PSL to prove the "dishonest conduct" of a club owned by one of its officials? Why would the PSL want to set off on that path?
Majavu's statement in part reads: 'The DC felt that the sanction pertaining to the docking of points would thus be inappropriate under the circumstances.'
Mbhele helped Arrows beat Marumo Gallants, and played in the draws against Sekhukhune United, AmaZulu and TS Galaxy. It would seem these clubs have a legitimate gripe for not being awarded 3-0 wins. If that materialises, Arrows could end up in the relegation zone.
What are the chances of a Premiership club, that is unconnected in this saga, challenging the decision in a court of law? Remember just over a year ago, Polokwane City took the PSL to court after questioning a ruling that did not affect them in any way.
The PSL allowed the club and others to turn to the courts and that resulted in the protracted Royal AM - Sekhukhune United saga. The NSL handbook informs that the DC rulings were deemed final, and clubs don't have the option to approach a court of law.