Times Of Swaziland: NSINGIZINI HOTSPURS FLY INTO NATIONAL FIRST DIVISION LEAGUE

NSINGIZINI HOTSPURS FLY INTO NATIONAL FIRST DIVISION LEAGUE
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BY LWAZI DLAMINI on 29/04/2021 07:58:00


MBABANE – Justice served!
This best describes the judgment delivered by the Eswatini Football Association
(EFA) Appeals Board last night, which declared the protests lodged by Amalanda
FC about a Nsingizini Hotspurs player, Sebenele Dlamini, null and void. This
ultimately means Nsingizini Hotspurs have now gained promotion to the National
First Division League. The Shiselweni Regional Football Association (SRFA)
representatives are expected to play their first game against trailblazing log
leaders Vovovo FC at King Sobhuza II Memorial Stadium at 1pm.
Headed
The Appeals Board, which heard the case last week, is headed by Senior
Magistrate Siphosini Dlamini, who delivered the judgment to the two parties
(Nsingizini Hotspurs and Amalanda FC) at Sigwaca House last night.
“The Board, in consideration of the arguments tendered by both parties and
arguments presented finds that the order of the High Court is instructive on the
parameters of the hearing. The Board has therefore limited itself to the
provisions of Article 9 (1). This provision provides that a protest may only be
lodged before the commencement of the game or on introduction of the player
subject of the protest.”
The ruling further stated that; “In the matter concerned, the protest,
according to the Referee’s report which is conclusive matters relating to
play, says the protest was lodged ‘2 minutes game in, supposedly 2minutes
after the commencement of the game.” The ruling statement also highlights that
the protest was not lodged before the beginning of the game, nor was it lodged
when the player was introduced. “Therefore the requirements of Article 9 (1)
have not been met. For that reason, it is the Board’s finding that the protest
falls foul of the provision and it therefore null and void,” part of the
ruling reads.
Comment
When reached for comment, Nsingizini Hotspurs legal representative Zakhele
Dlamini said he was elated that justice had been served. “At last justice has
been served. This matter is one that I didn’t even expect to have gone to the
High Court and I fail to understand this because the rules are clear when it
comes to the time of lodging a protest. Finally, justice has been served,”
Dlamini said briefly.