Polokwane City’s application at the Johannesburg high court to set aside an arbitration decision that deducted three points from the GladAfrica Championship club‚ and awarded three to Sekhukhune United‚ has been set for Friday‚ June 11.
The case will decide who finishes champions of the Championship.
Thembisa club Sekhukhune will end higher than Durban side Royal AM and be champions and promoted to the Premier Division if Polokwane’s court bid is unsuccessful.
Sekhukhune also have an application at the court to have the arbitration decision by Hilton Epstein SC applied by the Premier Soccer League (PSL)‚ until any further appeal might overturn it.
The PSL‚ which has entered in support of Polokwane’s application‚ is yet to declare the GladAfrica Championship winners for the 2020-21 season.
The case was set to be heard digitally on Friday‚ June 11 at a high court digital Case Management Meeting of the matter on Thursday.
The purpose of the meeting was to have the parties establish the future conduct of the matters‚ given what was once one application has expanded into other parties making applications in the matter.
This includes Sekhukhune’s application for the enforcement of the arbitration award.
A further application was submitted this week by TS Sporting‚ who are asking to also be awarded three points from their game on January 13 against Jomo Cosmos‚ who also contravened the Championship’s under-23 rule.
The court on Thursday considered all the matters in terms of sequence of hearing and the best practical way forward.
It was agreed that two applications – those of Polokwane and Sporting – will be heard on Friday‚ June 11.
The Polokwane application seeks to review and set aside the Epstein arbitration, which deducted points from them and awarded three points and a 3-0 scoreline to Sekhukhune.
The Sekhukhune application‚ for the enforcement of the arbitration decision‚ will continue if Polokwane are unsuccessful in their application on Friday‚ and the PSL still does not then award the three points to the Thembisa club‚ making them champions.
Royal had been sitting pretty with a three-point gap‚ needing a point at home to Cape Town All Stars at Chatsworth Stadium in the Championship's final round on Sunday‚ May 23 to clinch the title and automatic promotion.
On Wednesday‚ May 19, Epstein ruled in favour of Sekhukhune in a dispute involving Polokwane fielding less than the five Under-23 players demanded in Championship rules in a 1-0 win to City in January.
Royal did draw against All Stars (1-1) and Sekhukhune beat JDR Stars 3-1 away‚ which will leave United on 53 points if the arbitration is upheld‚ and Royal AM on 51.
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