Kaizer Chiefs Finally Get to Play Their Abandoned Matches!
Kaizer Chiefs Finally Get to Play Their Abandoned Matches! Amakhosi could not honour two fixtures in December 2021.
Kaizer Chiefs Finally Get to Play Their Abandoned Matches! Amakhosi could not honour two fixtures in December 2021.
Kaizer Chiefs were punished by the PSL for failing to fulfil two fixtures last December. This was due to their squad being severely devastated by the Omicron strain, leaving much of their members with Covid-19.
As a result of this, they did not play against Golden Arrows and Cape Town City, as the PSL did not approved their match abandonment. Since then, they were charged by the league for failing to honour these two matches.
However, PSL Prosecutor Zola Majavu has ruled in favour of Amakhosi to play the match.
Statement from the club:
Following months of uncertainty and legal wrangles between the Premier Soccer League (PSL) and Kaizer Chiefs, the League has written to the Club to confirm dates and kick-off times for the two fixtures that Kaizer Chiefs were unable to fulfil in December due to a massive Covid-19 outbreak at the Club’s Naturena headquarters.
The away match against Lamontville Golden Arrows, which was originally scheduled for 8 December 2021 will now be played in Durban on Freedom Day, 27 April 2022.
The other match – against Cape Town City, postponed from 4 December 2021 – will now take place on 30 April 2022 at FNB Stadium.
Chiefs wrote to the League on 1 December last year to alert them of the disastrous situation that had befallen the Club, requesting that the matches be postponed protecting the lives of everyone involved, including opponents. The plea was rejected even though the law of the country required that Chiefs players and staff go into isolation and quarantine under such circumstances.
The League decided to charge Amakhosi for not honouring the fixtures. The Club took the matter to Arbitration under SAFA. Mr. Zola Majavu, who is the PSL prosecutor affirmed that the League would recognise the ruling as final and binding and not appealable – which is in line with the NSL/PSL and SAFA rules.
The Arbitrator, Advocate Nazeer Cassim SC, ruled that the games should be rescheduled and ordered Chiefs to cover the travel costs of the other Clubs, a decision that was welcomed by all at the Kaizer Chiefs Village.
In an unprecedented move, the League announced that they would submit the arbitration ruling by Advocate Cassim for review outside of the football framework by taking the matter to the High Court.
The matter will only be heard after the games have been played as it is set for 10 May 2022.
Consequently, if the League is successful in the review application at High Court, then the log will be adjusted to reflect the position as if the replayed matches had not been replayed. If Kaizer Chiefs is successful in the review proceedings, then the log will reflect the outcome of the rescheduled matches.
The game against Arrows will kick off at 15:00 on 27 April and the clash against Cape Town City will commence at 15:00 on 30 April at FNB Stadium.
Ticketing information and other details will be communicated in due course.
Kaizer Chiefs Finally Get to Play Their Abandoned Matches!
