Times Of Swaziland: VICTORY FOR NSINGIZINI AGAINST EFA

VICTORY FOR NSINGIZINI AGAINST EFA
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BY THEMBA ZWANE on 16/03/2021 08:00:00


MBABANE – Nsingizini Hotspurs have won their case in court against the
Eswatini Football Association (EFA).
The High Court, yesterday ruled that the EFA Appeals Board and Protests and
Disciplinary Committee’s ruling in the matter between Hotspurs and Amalanda
FC’s was unlawful. Hotspurs wanted the court to interdict the SRFA, EFA and
the PLE from implementing the rulings of the appeals Board and disciplinary
committee regarding Amalanda playing in the First Division in the 2020/21
season, pending its review application in the High Court. At this time, the
First Division games about to begin and Hotspurs won the first leg of the
playoffs 1-0 and the return leg 2-1and would have been automatically promoted to
the National First Division on 3-1 aggregate. However, according to Derrick
Shiba, the Director of Hotspurs, Amalanda lodged a protest against Sebenele
Dlamini, whom it alleged was also registered with XI Experience FC campaigning
under the Maphalaleni Promotion League.
ruled
The court ruled that the committee did not follow the provisions of the
Competitions Rules in Article 9(1) when making their ruling and should hear the
matter once more before they make a ruling. The protest was heard by the Protest
and Disciplinary Committee on November 27, 2020 and three days later, a ruling
was issued, upholding the protest in favour of Amalanda, which was awarded three
points and three goals resulting in the aggregate score being 4-2 in its favour.
Hotspurs appealed against the decision ruling. The appeal was heard by the EFA
Appeals Board on December 8, 2020. The Board dismissed the appeal. According to
Shiba, Hotspurs’ grounds of appeal were that Amalanda’s protest was
allegedly not lodged in accordance with Competition Rules and Regulations,
particularly Article 9(1).
protest
He said Article 9(1) provides in part that: “Any protest regarding defaulters
must be lodged with the referee before the start of the match or at the time the
player is introduced into the field of play. The protest must be countersigned
by both captains and acknowledged by the referee otherwise it shall be null and
void…” Shiba argued that the protest document that was filed by Amalanda
allegedly did not comply with requirements of Article 9(1). “The protest was
not lodged either before the start of the match nor at the period the player was
introduced onto the field of play,” Shiba claimed. He said the player did not
start the game, but was introduced in the 80th minute. He submitted that
Amalanda allegedly did not lodge a protest against the player when he was
introduced. He said as per the provisions of Article 9(1), no protest could be
lodged afterwards. He also informed the court that even the referee’s report
allegedly contained no record of any protest against Sebenele’s introduction
to the game.
limbo
The start of the MTN National First Division was in limbo after Nsingizini
Hotpurs FC, who were docked three points during the playoffs for allegedly
fielding a double-registered player, took the chairperson of the Eswatini
Football Association’s (EFA) Appeal Board and Protests and Disciplinary
Committee, SRFA and the PLE, among other respondents, to court, over the manner
in which it missed out on a spot in the First Division League.