JDR protest over City’s Magawana dismissed, further DC by Spurs emerges

The protest over the ineligibility of a Durban City player was dismissed by the Premier Soccer League's (PSL) disciplinary committee (DC) on Tuesday night, however the KwaZulu-Natal club cannot celebrate being Motsepe Foundation Championship (MFC) victors yet.

City clinched the MFC title on Sunday with their 1-0 final-round win against Cape Town Spurs at Athlone Stadium, but were not handed the trophy and confirmation of their promotion to the Betway Premiership was put on hold pending DC matters.

The result condemned second-last-placed Spurs — formerly Ajax Cape Town — to relegation to the third tier ABC Motsepe League a year after dropping from the Premiership.

PSL prosecutor Zola Majavu said a protest lodged by seventh-placed finishers JDR Stars that City had improperly registered Saziso Magawana was dismissed by the DC on Tuesday night.

However, he revealed Spurs had brought a further protest over the same player on Monday and the matter was postponed to Wednesday. 

“I can confirm a short while ago the PSL DC concluded a protest launched by JDR Stars against Durban City in respect of a player, Mr Magawana,” Majavu said on Tuesday night.

“Having listened to the evidence presented by the protesting club and submissions made by all parties, the DC dismissed the protest with costs to be paid by the protesting club, JDR.

“The effect of the decision is that the PSL DC found nothing wrong with the registration of Magawana by Durban City and to the extent he was fielded against JDR Stars there was no wrongdoing determined.

“However, late yesterday [Monday] afternoon we received a further protest from Cape Town Spurs against City in respect of the same Mr Magawana. That protest was also enrolled for tonight [Tuesday] immediately after the earlier one pertaining to JDR Stars.

“The legal representatives for Spurs requested the matter be postponed to tomorrow [Wednesday] to enable them to make their witness available.

“The league did not object to the request for the postponement and neither did Durban City. The matter is scheduled to proceed at 4.30pm tomorrow.

“Out of an abundance of caution the league, represented by myself, directed all parties involved that in the event they wished to exercise their appeal rights, such appeals must be referred directly to arbitration, which has full and final effect.

“All the parties have indicated they would abide by the directive. I will give a further update on the protest by Spurs tomorrow.

“I can also assure the football-loving public the league will do all it can to ensure its normal activities are not disrupted while respecting the rights of all the parties involved in these judicial proceedings.

“This is exactly why the league took the decision it did in respect of delaying the crowning of the champions over the weekend.”

The PSL will hope any appeals do not delay the start of the promotion-relegation playoffs that begin on May 27.

City chair Farook Kadodia has also complained the DC matter is delaying his club's ability to begin to plan, prepare and build a competitive squad for the next season's Premiership.

City, formerly Maritzburg United, relocated from Pietermaritzburg to Durban and renamed themselves ahead of the 2024-25 campaign.