Santos in court to force Igesund to coach

Former Santos soccer coach, Gordon Igesund, will be back in the Cape High Court on Wednesday as his former club wants the court to force him to go on coaching them pending his appeal against another court ruling.

In July last year Igesund signed a contract with Santos to be head coach of the team. Santos later won the Professional Soccer League trophy.

Shortly afterwards Igesund indicated he wanted to take up a coaching position with another Cape Town club, Ajax, citing job security and better pay as the reasons.

In June Santos asked the Cape High Court for an urgent order forcing Igesund to stay on as Santos coach. The club lost, with Mr Justice Siraj Desai ruling he could not force Igesund to coach Santos.

Santos's lawyers then applied for leave to appeal against this ruling. They lost.

They petitioned the Supreme Court of Appeal for leave to appeal against the ruling - and won.

The appeal was heard by three senior Cape High Court judges, Mr Justice John Foxcroft, Mr Justice Selwyn Selikowitz and Mr Justice Essa Moosa.

They ruled Igesund should return to Santos and honour his contract.

Igesund's lawyers then applied to the Supreme Court of Appeal for special leave to appeal against this ruling.

Under normal circumstances a court ruling is suspended if an application for leave to appeal is filed. On Wednesday Santos's lawyers will, however, ask the court to prevent the order being suspended and compel Igesund to comply with it.

Igesund is opposing the application.

Norman Arendse SC and Anton Katz, instructed by Alex Abercrombie, appear for Santos. Andrew Breytenbach and Sean Rosenberg, instructed by Michael Murphy, appear for Igesund.