Leopards boss steers clear of Ajax debacle

Black Leopards owner David Thidiela says he has no comment to make on the issue in the courts between the Premier Soccer League (PSL) and Ajax Cape Town‚ but adds he is continuing to prepare for the new season as a top-flight club.

“It is not an issue for my club‚” Thidiela told TimesLIVE yesterday morning.

“It is for the PSL to sort out the issue and bring it to a conclusion‚ but we are continuing to prepare for the Absa Premiership this coming season. That is all I will say on the matter.”

The ruling by Judge Denise Fisher on Monday that set aside the arbitration award by Advocate William Mokhari which sent Ajax to automatic relegation has placed Leopards’ topflight future in doubt after they were promoted via PSL’s promotion-relegation playoffs.

The result of those playoffs has now been called into question as Ajax were denied the opportunity to take part by Mokhari’s arbitration award.

Thidiela says his club will add significant value to the topflight‚ with his club gaining better support than “99 percent” of Premiership clubs at their Thohoyandou stadium.

Ajax were initially docked the points by Mokhari after being found guilty of fielding Zimbabwe striker Tendai Ndoro‚ despite the fact that they were

It is not an issue for my club. It is for the PSL to sort out

his third club of the season‚ in contravention of Fifa rules.

The Cape Town club claimed there were extenuating circumstances though‚ as well as the punishment being too harsh‚ and that they had a mandate to play the player from the PSL’s Dispute Resolution Chamber.

The PSL released a statement on Monday saying they were studying the judgment by Fisher and would be guided by their legal team on what next steps to take.