By Lehlohonolo Lehana.
The Eastern Cape High Court has halted the Safa ABC Motsepe League national playoffs after Sinenkani FC applied for the playoffs to be declared null & void.
Sinenkani FC is challenging SAFA decision to exclude teams from Limpopo and Eastern Cape from these playoffs.
Judge Thembekile Malusi in the East London High Court has ordered that ABC Motsepe League National Playoffs be halted until the proceedings in court have been finalised.
The national playoffs, which will promote three teams to the Premier Soccer League’s (PSL’s) Motsepe Foundation Championship, kicked off on Monday at the Giant Stadium in Soshanguve and were expected to conclude on Sunday.
Earlier on Thursday, SAFA released a statement about moving the matches from Soshanguve to Atteridgeville.
This came less than 24 hours after Sasol, the financial sponsors of women’s football that included the women’s league and senior women’s national team, Banyana Banyana decided not to renew their sponsorship agreement.As if that was not enough, the association is being sued by another sponsor, Hollywoodbets.
The latest development now cancelled all the plans for SAFA’s aims of completing the play-offs on the scheduled day, Sunday, July 6. The two finalists are expected to be promoted to the Motsepe Foundation Championship, the country’s first division league.