Ajax await ruling on their PSL fate

AJAX Cape Town are waiting for the outcome of their court application to interdict the PSL promotion/relegation playoffs from continuing.

A decision on the matter could be handed down tomorrow, after Judge Raylene Keightley reserved judgment on the application to the South Gauteng High Court.

Ajax were meant to play Black Leopards in the first of six matches in a threeteam mini-league to determine who earned a place in the PSL next season. The third team involved is Jomo Cosmos, and the teams play each other twice, home and away, with the minileague winner gaining PSL status.

However, Ajax were ejected from the playoffs earlier this week when an arbitrator found that they were guilty of fielding an ineligible player in Zimbabwean striker Tendai Ndoro, and docked them nine league points. Ajax were demoted to last place in the league, and automatically relegated, with Platinum Stars taking their spot in the playoffs.

Ajax were attempting to halt the playoffs. The first game, between Stars and Black Leopards, proceeded at 3pm yesterday, with proceedings in court at the time. There is the possibility that the rest of the games could be interdicted, depending on the judgment of the court.

Ajax lost the Ndoro case in the second arbitration hearing with regard to the eligibility of the Zimbabwean. The arbitrator, William Mokhari, found the Cape club guilty and, as a result, they forfeited matches against Platinum Stars, Polokwane City and SuperSport United. The arbitrator ruled on Tuesday that they lose all three matches 3-0 and be fined R50 000 for each offence.

Yesterday morning, Ajax took the matter to the high court with two applications: to interdict the playoffs and to set aside Mokhari’s arbitration award.

The football world waits with interest to see what happens next in a saga that is most certainly doing more harm to the already-shaky perception of the wellbeing of the football industry.