Armed with law experts and a court interdict against the SA Football Association, soccer agents believe they are a step closer to shutting the door on the national body, which intends to administer their lucrative work more strictly.

In March, Safa took a decision to cap the commission due to player representatives to 3% from April 1, a call which had agents up in arms.

There was a small triumph for the newly named "intermediaries" last week when Johannesburg High Court judge Brian Mashile suspended Safa's new regulation - which the association said was recommended by world governing body Fifa - pending the outcome of a review application at a later date.

Agents, who in the past have charged fees as high as 10%, unanimously agreed to take Safa on as they believed the stringent regulations would change the landscape of the Premier Soccer League.

"This is not a victory for agents, but is imperative for us to be recognised as important role-players in the football industry and for our input to be treated with the seriousness it deserves," said SA Football Intermediaries (Safia) president and top agent Mike Makaab in a statement yesterday.

"We have been, and remain, willing to sit across a table with Safa and the PSL to find a workable solution to the new proposed rules and regulations ."

Safia reiterated that the regulations announced by Safa president Danny Jordaan three months ago would have "severe consequences on the occupation of player agents", with their earnings slashed by 70%.

The agents also argued that Fifa merely recommended a guideline and not a mandate.

Attorney Jeff Afriat, who represents Safia, said they would lodge another complaint to the Competition Tribunal.

"In our view, the 3% cap is unconstitutional because it unreasonably and unjustifiably limits the fundamental rights of agents," he said.

But Safa is still holding out for its new rules to be upheld.

"This decision [last week's court ruling] does not mean the new Safa regulations on working with intermediaries have been set aside or are invalid," the association said in its reaction to Judge Mashile's interdict.

"It simply means that the activities of players' agents will continue to be regulated by the 2008 Safa Players Agents' Regulation until such a time as the dispute has been dealt with."