Ramatsiyi Moholoa

Ramatsiyi Moholoa

Safa Appeals Board yesterday dealt Mamelodi Sundowns a heavy blow by upholding the PSL Dispute Resolution Chamber's (DRC) ruling declaring Jose Torrealba a free agent.

"The Safa Appeals Boards have just made a ruling at 5pm to dismiss Sundowns' appeal," said Zola Majavu, the PSL's prosecutor.

In addition, Sundowns were ordered by the Appeals' Board to forfeit the R10 000 appeal fee paid to the federation.

"Sundowns were also ordered to pay the legal costs of Torrealba on the High Court scale and also pay the Safa Appeals' Board costs of the appeal," added Majavu.

In terms of the law, Sundowns' last resort on this matter is to settle for arbitration. They are required to inform the authorities of their plan of action within 72 hours.

"I have not heard anything from Sundowns (on the issue of arbitration)," said Majavu at the time of going to press last night.

The war between Sundowns and Torrealba started last season when The Brazilians claimed that the Venezuelan had extended his contract with the club.

This was strongly denied by Torrealba, who argued that he could not have extended the contract because he was in Europe on the day the club claimed he signed.

Sundowns took the matter up with the DRC where they lost the case after two independent handwriting experts confirmed that the signature did not match that of Torrealba. Sundowns president Patrice Motsepe could not be reached for comment.