Mikhado Football Club are in a celebratory mood after the South African Football Association (Safa) appeal board ruled in their favour in their case against Mpheni Home Defenders during its sitting last Friday evening.
The case relates to an incident that took place during the Safa Vhembe promotional play-off match between the two teams at the Thohoyandou Stadium on Sunday, 18 June.
Defenders won the game through a penalty shoot-out after a 2-2 draw at the end of the regulation time.
Mikhado lodged a protest with the referee shortly before the game started. In their protest, Mikhado alleged that one of the players for Defenders, Rinae Hector Mulaudzi, was not properly registered with the club.
During its meeting, which was held a week later to hear the matter, the league's disciplinary committee ruled that the player was properly registered with the club. The committee's decision did not go down well with Mikhado. They decided to take the matter up with the Safa appeals board. The case was initially dismissed on the basis that proper channels had not been followed.
Mikhado, however, did not throw in the towel. They went back to the drawing board and filed the appeal afresh. The appeals board found that Mulaudzi had a dual registration in that he was registered with another club from Safa Capricorn during the 2016/17 soccer season.
The board again ordered that Defenders must forfeit the points to the opponents in all matches where Mulaudzi had been fielded and that they must pay all the costs for the appeal board sitting.
At the time of our going to the press it was not clear whether Home Defenders will exercise their right to take the matter for arbitration. Should the current status quo remain unchanged, Mikhado will play against the winners from the other regions in the provincial play-offs to determine the two teams that will gain promotion to the ABC Motsepe League.
Vhembe Regional Association will host the provincial play-offs on a date still to be announced.