Ajax threaten to halt start of league
• Club CEO says committee members who are appealing are compromised
Ajax Cape Town have confirmed that they will apply for an interdict to halt the start of the new Premier Soccer League (PSL) season‚ scheduled for the weekend of August 3-5‚ while the Tendai Ndoro matter is still before the courts.
Ajax were finalising their papers on Tuesday and will be approaching the High Court in Johannesburg as soon as possible to have their case heard.
At the same time‚ the club will be opposing the PSL’s application for leave to appeal against Judge Denise Fisher’s ruling setting aside an arbitration ruling in the eligibility case of Ndoro that had seen Ajax relegated at the end of last season.
Fisher ruled recently that the arbitration award of advocate William Mokhari should be set aside as the correct forum to hear the matter was Fifa’s Player Status Committee.
Ajax will also launch an application that should Fisher give the PSL the right to appeal her verdict‚ it will still stand until that process is complete.
Club CEO Ari Efstathiou told reporters on Tuesday he believed that if the matter was sent to Fifa‚ they would again return it to the SA Football Association (Safa) and the PSL, as there were bodies such as the dispute-resolution chamber‚ which originally found for Ajax in the matter‚ to hear such cases.
“Ajax have stated time and again that we are willing to sit around the table and discuss a solution with all the interested parties‚ but this has been rebuffed‚” Efstathiou said.
“We are now left with no other option but to proceed with the action we are taking. I have told the board of governors that this is not a personal issue‚ it is a business decision‚ and that in our shoes any of them would have done the same.”
Efstathiou also said the fact that the PSL’s executive committee‚ the body that first made the decision to appeal the chamber’s initial findings in favour of Ajax and has now subsequently decided to appeal the judgment of Fisher‚ had been conflicted in their decision-making all along and was an issue that needed to be discussed.
The committee is made up of Irvin Khoza (Orlando Pirates)‚ Kaizer Motaung (Kaizer Chiefs)‚ Mato Madlala (Lamontville Golden Arrows)‚ Stanley Matthews (SuperSport United)‚ David Thidiela (Black Leopards)‚ Jose Ferreira (BidVest Wits)‚ Rejoice Vakashile Simelane (Mamelodi Sundowns) and Khumbulani Konco (Bloemfontein Celtic).
“At the time, Pirates were going for the league [title]‚ while Golden Arrows‚ Wits‚ SuperSport and Celtic were facing possible relegation‚ so they were conflicted in the decision to appeal the outcome of the DRC.
“With the decision to appeal the judgment of Judge Fisher‚ Black Leopards and SuperSport‚ who want to be given a place in the MTN8‚ are conflicted as well,” he said.
Efstathiou also queried why SuperSport‚ when they tried to register Lebo Manyama last season‚ were warned by the PSL about the three-club rule‚ but Ajax had not received the same courtesy‚ which would have set off alarm bells.
Mokhari stripped Ajax of the points gained in wins over Platinum Stars and SuperSport‚ as well as a draw with Polokwane City, for fielding Ndoro, his third club of the season‚ initially in error and then with the DRC support. /