Legal battles blight start of anticipated Championship season

The country’s second tier league has a new sponsor and increased prize money with the winners set to pocket R3-million and at least 30 of the games shown live on TV which had the local soccer fraternity excited.

“The League has been forced to postpone four fixtures in the GladAfrica Championship in light of certain exceptional reasons of a legal nature impacting two member clubs being Royal Eagles and Uthongathi. Legal issues that have arisen are confidential and save for apologizing for any inconvenience caused to those who may be affected. The League will not comment further on these matters,” read a brief statement released by the PSL yesterday.

Phakaaathi has however learnt that the legal matters are due to the ownership issues at both Uthongathi and Eagles. Sources have claimed that an ownership battle has erupted at the Cane Cutters following the death last year of club chairman Nicholas Mkhize.

A similar battle is also going on at Eagles following the divorce of owners Sbu and Shaun Mpisane with either side fighting to keep the club. The two club’s fixtures have thus been postponed. Uthongathi were set to meet KwaZulu-Natal rivals, Real Kings on Saturday while Eagles were to host Mbombela United on Sunday.

Fixtures

Today: Tshakhuma v Cape Umoya; Moroka Swallows (Maccabi) v TS Sporting; Ajax Cape Town v Free State Stars.

Tomorrow: TS Galaxy v Jomo Cosmos; University of Pretoria v Steenberg United; Richards Bay v JDR Stars

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