Tendai Ndoro eligibility circus continues

10 May 2018 - 16:00 By Mark Gleeson
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Tendai Ndoro of Ajax Cape Town. File photo
Tendai Ndoro of Ajax Cape Town. File photo
Image: Shaun Roy/Gallo Images

The urgent resolution of the Tendai Ndoro case sought by both the Premier Soccer League and the South African Football Association (SAFA) was plunged into further crisis when the arbitration set for Friday was cancelled.

SAFA set down a hearing at 10am on Friday‚ to be arbitrated by Advocate William Mokhare‚ but have now had to cancel it because they have been told that Mokhare has been called away on another matter and is no longer available.

Resolution of the matter‚ which could yet decide final placings in the Absa Premiership‚ has been described by the PSL as a matter of the “most extreme urgency”.

The appointment of Mokhare by SAFA was made on Wednesday but by allegedly flouting their own procedures‚ leaving any decision open to further legal challenge.

To take the drawn-out saga to a second arbitration was decided last week by the PSL‚ whose chief executive officer has the right to do so in terms of their rules particularly if the league feels it needs to resolve a matter urgently.

Arbitration falls under the ambit of SAFA‚ who‚ in terms of their rules‚ must offer the opposing parties the choice of three different arbitrators.

In the case of the choices being different‚ the SAFA chief executive officer Denis Mumble can then pick one of the three.

SAFA wrote to the PSL and Ajax on Tuesday to offer a trio of choices‚ all available to hear the matter on different dates between Thursday and the end of next week.

Both parties were given until Wednesday to make a choice.

Advocate Mokhare was available to arbitrate this week but the other two only next week.

The PSL then immediately wrote back pointing out the urgency of the matter and said because only Mokhare was available this week‚ he should be selected to listen to the matter.

On Wednesday‚ SAFA wrote to both parties informing them Mokhare had been appointed and would hear the case on Friday‚ without giving Ajax a chance to choose.

Ajax do not want to attend a hearing this week because they say they are concentrating their energies on their last league game of the second against Kaizer Chiefs on Saturday‚ which they need to win to move out of the relegation zone.

“I’m not talking about Ndoro‚ I’m concentrating on Chiefs‚” said Ajax owner Ari Efstathiou on Thursday.

But he did tell TimesLIVE: “It’s very interesting that Mumble has not followed the correct procedure.”

PSL prosecutor Nande Becker‚ in a letter to various clubs on Tuesday‚ said the matter need to be finalised before the promotion-relegation play-offs start on May 16.

He said the arbitration should be held even on the weekend if necessary.

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