After Cape Town City won their appeal case against the PSL's DC, KickOff looks at the ramifications for Marumo Gallants, should City succeed.
SAFA Arbitrator Nazeer Cassim ruled on Monday that City are entitled to make presentations to the League's Disciplinary Committee, on whether Monde Mphambaniso was "ineligible" for Gallants after he was registered without a clearance certificate.
The PSL Prosecutor Zola Majavu had previously decided not to prosecute the matter, as he did not deem the matter to be misconduct, which would have triggered article 58.1 of the NSL Handbook, on ineligibility, which states:
"If a player takes part in a match (he is on the team sheet, the field of play, or on the substitutes bench at any time) despite being ineligible, the Member Club which fielded him will be sanctioned with a forfeit of the match and a minimum fine of R100,000."
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The legal battle between City and the League's Disciplinary Committee could be two-pronged, as the Citizens are unlikely to change the League's position on the matter, as they initially decided not to prosecute.
Should the Mother City club not be satisfied with a D.C. ruling, they could appeal to the High Court.
In extreme circumstances where Mphambaniso and Gallants could be deemed to have defaulted, they would be expected to forfeit 14 matches (including those he was on the bench), in which the diminutive midfielder featured or was on the bench and the club gained points.
In total, the 32-year-old featured in 20 league games and overall in 26 matches (including those on the bench, which count) for the Bloemfontein side, that had seven wins and seven draws (and ten losses), 28 points in total which could be docked and proportionally awarded to teams they beat or drew against.
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Gallants finished the season in tenth place with 32 points, which means they could be left with only four points, should they be punished according to article 58.1 of the PSL rule book.
As a result, Siwelele Sa Marumo would drop to 15th in the Betway Premiership, which is a play-off spot and the League could have the challenge of rescheduling the promotion-relegation play-offs.
