Usuthu want their top 8 spot back

AMAZULU are not willing to go down without a fight in their pursuit to reclaim their top eight spot.

Usuthu finished eighth on the Absa Premiership table last season following the Tendai Ndoro saga.

Ajax Cape Town were docked points after breaching Fifa rules that do not allow players to play for three different clubs in one season. Ajax were the third team Zimbabwean Ndoro was turning out for after playing for Orlando Pirates and later Saudi Arabia’s Al Faisaly. The Urban Warriors were relegated while Platinum Stars, initially the bottom side, went into the play-offs where they lost out to Black Leopards.

The decision to dock Ajax points meant SuperSport United shot into the top eight and thus knocked AmaZulu out. Ajax successfully appealed the decision but the league also exercised their right to appeal.

The general manager at Usuthu, Lunga Sokhela, expressed his disappointment on the issue.

“Most of the teams were not happy in our BOG meeting. But at the end of the day, the court will take the final decision. Everyone can put in their sentiments. I think let us wait for the court to make the decision. It is disappointing that at this stage of season we are still fighting amongst ourselves. We pleaded with the BOG that let us a find a solution ourselves instead of having to continuously go to court. We will see,” he explained.

Usuthu stand to lose over a million rands for missing out on the top eight. The club was set to pocket R800 000 for participating in the MTN 8 plus a further R250 000 for finishing eighth on the log.

“The fact of the matter is that certain clubs have earned their certain rights. We’ve earned our right to play in the top eight and I don’t see the reason why we should be deprived of that right. Why should the players who worked hard the whole year to achieve that position not be given that opportunity?” Sokhela lamented.

“It is not a pleasant situation. We know for a fact that it will go back to the court and we have to respect whatever decisions they come to. We were together with Ajax and we discussed a lot of factors but the argument of the league didn’t even go past the first base. The judge didn’t even entertain other things because the issue of jurisdiction was the big thing, this person didn’t even have the jurisdiction to hear this matter. It was a fruitless exercise talking about other things. The judgment was as simple as that. So, the league is appealing that and we will hear what they have to say. “It is very unsettling. We’ve got commitments to players, we’ve got commitments to the sponsors and every week we are shifting goal posts. It is not fair on the players and the coach as well. What are they preparing for? Are they preparing for top eight or not? We want to play in the MTN 8. That’s the reality. It is like preparing for the World Cup. You want to play in the tournament. Let us forget about other things, they want to be part of top eight. It is has been grossly unfair on them but we hope this whole saga will come to an end soon,” Sokhela said. ANNECY: If Tour de France organisers wanted the soccer World Cup to end before the race started to heat up, then it is mission accomplished.

No clear favourite has emerged from the opening block of racing as all the top riders, with the exception of Richie Porte, are still in contention on the first rest day before gruelling stages in the Alps.

The differences between the main challengers were essentially made in the team time trial in the second stage.