Gomora United chairman Joe Seanego is pleased that justice has been served following the ruling in the case involving former PSL club Highlands Park.
Last night’s decision resulted in Highlands Park, who finished at the top of the log in the 2024/2025 Gauteng ABC Motsepe League, being stripped of all the points they earned this season.
Consequently, they have been relegated to the fourth tier of South African football.
Highlands Park's Nigerian footballer, Franklin Ogbonna, was found guilty of using a fake visa.
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As a result, Gomora United, who finished in second place, will take Highlands Park’s place in the national play-offs, which are set to take place in Ekurhuleni.
"Gomora United are the champions, that decision taken last night confirms it," Seanego tells KickOff.
"In football, you have to respect the laws, follow the process, and avoid being stubborn. No matter how wealthy you are, you cannot claim to be the champion when you used a player who entered the country illegally."
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Seanego recalled a specific rule in the ABC Motsepe League regarding foreign players: "A foreigner cannot play in the ABC Motsepe League since it is a development league. A foreigner can only play in this league if they are a student. That’s why Highlands Park's player was falsely registered as a student, even though he was not studying anywhere."
When asked why they waited until the end of the season to raise their complaints, Seanego attributed the delay to the arbitrator.
"This happens when the arbitrator is biased," he explained.
"That is where the problems begin. You might wonder why it took so long for these cases to be heard. We raised the issue in January, but they didn't want to charge Highlands Park."
