Sekhukhune United secure promotion to DStv Premiership
"The consequence is that Sekhukhune United Football Club have secured automatic promotion to the PSL for next season, while Chippa United, Royal AM, and Richards Bay Football Clubs will contest the promotion/relegation play-offs which will commence on the 15th of June 2021".
Sekhukhune United were confirmed the winners for the GladAfrica championship for the 2020/21 season. Ba bina Noko were granted a declaratory order on Saturday that forces the league to award them the three points they had been disputing in arbitration last month.
The club were awarded maximum points and a 3-0 result over Polokwane City last month, by advocate Hilton Epstein.
City had failed to comply with the rule that requires five u/23 players to be on the match day team list, as per the PSL rules.
This means Sekhukhune will move to the top of the National First Division (NFD) with 53 points and will gain automatic promotion to the DStv Premiership.
Royal AM will move to second with 51 points and will compete in the promotion play-offs with Richards Bay and Chippa United.
To confirm the promotion, the PSL released the following statement on Saturday: “Judge Roland Sutherland today, June 12, 2021, handed down an order dealing with the disputes that arose at the end of the NFD.
“The Premier Soccer League intervened in the proceedings and asked, by way of a counterclaim, for a declaratory order that the NSL Handbook is not silent, and that it deals fully with the way in which the NSL disciplinary committee and/or the Safa arbitration tribunal must deal with misconduct matters in professional football in South Africa.
“Judge Sutherland granted the declaratory order the League sought. Judge Sutherland also confirmed the two SAFA Arbitration Tribunal awards handed down by advocates Epstein and Cassim SC which impacted the final log standings.”
“These awards were challenged by Polokwane City and TS Sporting. Neither challenge was upheld.
“The consequence is that Sekhukhune United Football Club have secured automatic promotion to the PSL for next season, while Chippa United, Royal AM, and Richards Bay Football Clubs will contest the promotion/relegation play-offs which will commence on the 15th of June 2021”.
Meanwhile Steelburger/Lydenburg News has learnt that the promotion/relegation play-offs were in doubt as Royal AM plans to approach the Supreme Court of Appeal to challenge the ruling.
Sekhukhune United were officially launched in November last year after they bought the National First Division status of Tshakhuma Tsha Madzivhandila.
During the launch, the Ga Motshana born CEO Johannes Malatji, said their ultimate goal was promotion to the Premiership, but at the same time said they were being realistic as they must first crawl before they walk.
“That is our wish, to gain promotion to the elite league, but we cannot overpromise because we are not going to compete alone,” he pointed out.
To prepare for the upcoming season, the club will be launching its Burgersfort branch on Sunday at the Fetakgomo Tubatse Local Municipality’s chamber.
