What's the deal with the PSL and its Disciplinary Committee (DC) always being out of sync?
Last season, the PSL fought its DC hard to get Ajax Cape Town relegated and this season, the league is doing its best to decide who wins the title.
In another case of player eligibility, things seem to be taking on a pattern - the DC, an independent judicial arm of the league, makes a ruling and the PSL makes an appeal after the outcome is not to their liking.
Ajax’s case, involving Tendai Ndoro’s registration and eligibility to play, was okayed by the DC until the parties could find out all the rules.
And even after all the fighting, which went all the way to the South African High Court, the PSL and Ajax realised that they didn’t follow the rules according to Fifa’s Player Status guidelines.
Now we have the Wayne Arendse saga.
Arendse was fielded while suspended by champions Mamelodi Sundowns in a league clash with Wits in October.
AJAX TRADEGY: Tendai Ndoro. Photo: Phando Jikelo/ANA.
Once again, the PSL picked this up late.
Last month, it became apparent that Downs had broken the rules and the wheels of justice, PSL-style, were set in motion.
And this time, their style of justice is as uninformed and messed up as ever.
In previous cases, the fielding of an ineligible player is punishable by the forfeiture of the match 3-0 - as in the case of Ndoro last term.
That means Downs should have been docked the three points they gained in the match against Wits first up.
That it didn’t, throws up questions worth asking.
Like: are the DC competent? Or was there a plot to help the Brazilians along in their quest to defend their title.
Hopefully, it’s just that the DC is incompetent.