Tough start for Chippa

With Ajax Cape Town’s appeal bid still threatening to derail the start of the new season, the PSL released its 2018/2019 fixtures, which see Chippa United facing an away clash with Bloemfontein Celtic in their opening encounter.

Dan Malesela’s team will have to contend with Celtic in Bloemfontein on August 5 before returning to Port Elizabeth to play Soweto giants Orlando Pirates at the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium on August 8.

The Chilli Boys’ next assignment is against Black Leopards in East London on August 18.

The match will be one of five clashes planned for the Sisa Dukashe Stadium this season.

But whether the league will start on August 4 depends on the fate of Ajax.

The club’s move to interdict the start of the season was on Tuesday held over until Thursday, after the league’s application for leave to appeal against the ruling of Judge Denise Fisher has been heard.

This means soccer fans will be kept in suspense for a further 48 hours at least as to whether the premiership will get under way as scheduled.

The interdict will be heard only after the league has been given the opportunity to petition Fisher for leave to appeal against her judgment that effectively reversed Ajax’s relegation from the top flight last season.

That appeal will be heard in the South Gauteng High Court on Thursday at 9am, with Ajax’s interdict of the start of the season set down for 11.30am. If the league is denied leave to appeal‚ it could render Ajax’s interdict fruitless.

The league announced the opening fixtures of the new season on Monday‚ but the make-up of the 16 top-flight teams has not been confirmed.

This after Fisher reversed an arbitration award by advocate William Mokhari earlier this month.

The award had stripped Ajax of the points they gained in wins over Platinum Stars and SuperSport United and a draw with Polokwane City‚ after the club fielded striker Tendai Ndoro – his third club of the season – in contravention of Fifa regulations.

Fisher ruled that Fifa was the correct forum to hear the matter.

Her judgment had the effect of moving Ajax from the bottom to 15th on the log – the relegation playoff position – although that competition has already been played, with second-tier side Black Leopards claiming victory.

The PSL is now seeking leave to appeal against Fisher’s ruling, arguing that she erred and that another judge would find differently.

The PSL has, meanwhile, switched around the opening fixtures to allow champions Mamelodi Sundowns to get the season under way in a showpiece clash with Kaizer Chiefs.

Originally‚ Bidvest Wits and Free State Stars were due to start the new season with the opening game on Friday August 3‚ but the clubs were asked to delay their match by 24 hours to allow for the highprofile Sundowns-Chiefs clash.

Wits agreed to the change‚ saying it was only fair that the defending champions kick off the new season, as they did the 2017/2018 campaign.

Sundowns’ match against Chiefs at the Loftus Versfeld Stadium in Pretoria‚ which kicks off at 3pm on Saturday August 4‚ is now the first of 240 league fixtures scheduled through to May.

The MTN8 kicks off on August 11-12 and the first leg of the semifinals follows a fortnight later‚ spread over successive weekends.

The final will be played on September 29. –

Originally‚ Bidvest Wits and Free State Stars were due to start the new season with the opening game on August 3‚ but the clubs were asked to delay their match by 24 hours