The PSL is suffering a real premiership headache

With less than a month before the new season is scheduled to start, the Premier Soccer League has been left poring over a court ruling, presumably trying to find a way to stop the 2018-19 campaign from stalling before it hits the runway.

On Monday, Judge Denise Fisher overturned a decision by Advocate William Mokhari to dock Ajax Cape Town points and relegate them from the Absa Premiership for fielding an ineligible player in striker Tendai Ndoro during the 2017-18 season.

Fisher said a decision on Ndoro could only be made by Fifa’s player status committee (PSC).

Monday’s ruling throws into the air the result of last season’s Absa Premiership, in which Ajax finished 15th, before Mokhari’s decision to take points away from them. A 15th-place finish would have seen the Urban Warriors qualify for the promotion/relegation playoffs – instead, those went ahead without Ajax and Black Leopards won promotion.

The PSL issued a statement on Monday saying it needed time to consider the judgment. It acknowledged that Fisher had set Mokhari’s award aside, but interestingly also argued she had not given Ajax back their 15th place, or said the promotion/relegation play-offs should be declared null and void.

From this stance, it seems clear the PSL has no intention of replaying the play-offs – it could also face court action from Black Leopards if it did.

The PSL could appeal Fisher’s ruling and persuade the South African Football Association to go back to Fifa to get a ruling from its PSC on Ndoro’s eligibility. All this, however, is likely to take time.

If it is not known if Ajax Cape Town should be playing next season in the Absa Premiership or National First Division, or indeed Black Leopards, how is it possible to start the season?

There is only one certainty: the whole situation is a mess.

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