Safa NC scrambling to find venue for play-off games
THE PROVINCIAL South
African Football Association is scrambling for a venue to host the play-offs of the dual stream ABC Motsepe League which is scheduled to take place in early April.
Willem Coetzee, the league secretary, yesterday notified the affiliate teams of the league’s intention to host the games on April 10. The statement also indicated that the venue which will host the play-offs will have to be central and neutral for all teams involved.
Indications are that in the inland or southern stream, Kimberley side Real Madrid is the uncontested candidate who will be in the play-offs on the strength of top points earned. Real Madrid ended the league on 16 games and 34 points.
In the western stream NC Professionals of Olifantshoek top the league rankings. But NC Pros’ position is dependent on the outcome of a disciplinary hearing which was being held yesterday in Johannesburg involving two cases which
Upington City have to answer to.
As matters stand Upington City have completed 16 games but they are contesting the results of two matches.
A source close to the disciplinary hearings in Johannesburg summarised Upington City’s situation by saying that City were docked points for a match against Kakamas Juventus. City contested that result and the decision went their way but that result was later rescinded by the regional football organ which left Upington
City again minus the Juventus match points.
In the second case Upington City have to answer a case of fielding a player irregularly during a league match.
Allister Davids, executive committee member of NC Pros, said they cannot comment at this juncture nor could they make any plans regarding their likely participation or otherwise in the play-offs as they await the decision of the disciplinary hearing sitting in Gauteng.
As for the play-offs themselves Coetzee previously explained that Safa had devised the play-offs mechanism specifically for the Northern Cape province and its regions. No other Safa region engages in play-offs as they play a whole league season involving 30-plus games in a season.
Coetzee explained that
Safa had cut short the league programme for Northern Cape teams especially with regard to their travel and accommodation expenses.
The distances between towns and their resident teams puts a huge cost burden on Northern Cape teams unlike say those in Gauteng. In the Gauteng province all teams honour all matches regularly even though they have no team bus or a huge purse.
That is because in Gauteng almost all teams have no accommodation and long distance travel burdens to take care of.
The Safa monthly subsidy just covers the costs of a shortened league programme in the Northern Cape.
Coetzee said the neutral venue will be made known by close of business today.