The arbitration at the South African Football Association (Safa) brought by the Premier Soccer League (PSL) against Cape Town City for signing a sponsorship with sports betting company SportPesa has been postponed yet again.
Safa legal officer Tebogo Motlanthe said in a hearing held this month the matter had to be postponed because PSL chairman Irvin Khoza was at the World Cup in Russia.
“The arbitration is postponed. We are waiting for both lawyers to give us the date‚” Motlanthe said.
“When it was supposed to be heard the chairperson of the league [Khoza]‚ who is also a witness‚ was out in Russia.
“We are waiting for the league to indicate when their witnesses will be available. But also parties must exchange documents in the meantime.”
Motlanthe said he hoped the new date would be within a month.
An first hearing was held on February 7‚ but postponed because City owner John Comitis and his attorney were indisposed.
City face the possibility‚ as a worst-case scenario‚ of expulsion or relegation from the PSL.
The PSL asserts that a resolution was passed eight years ago that no club would sign a sports betting company as a sponsor without permission until the league had carried out an investigation into the issue.
This investigation was never carried out.
City did not ask permission to sign the deal with SportPesa.
City also continued to wear the SportPesa logo on their shirts last season‚ despite never having‚ as required by PSL rules‚ the kit approved by the league‚ and having been directly instructed not to.
A charge of defiance in National Soccer League (NSL) rules can see a club expelled if found guilty.
Cape Town City's long-running shirt sponsorship dispute with PSL postponed yet again
The arbitration at the South African Football Association (Safa) brought by the Premier Soccer League (PSL) against Cape Town City for signing a sponsorship with sports betting company SportPesa has been postponed yet again.
Safa legal officer Tebogo Motlanthe said in a hearing held this month the matter had to be postponed because PSL chairman Irvin Khoza was at the World Cup in Russia.
“The arbitration is postponed. We are waiting for both lawyers to give us the date‚” Motlanthe said.
“When it was supposed to be heard the chairperson of the league [Khoza]‚ who is also a witness‚ was out in Russia.
“We are waiting for the league to indicate when their witnesses will be available. But also parties must exchange documents in the meantime.”
Motlanthe said he hoped the new date would be within a month.
An first hearing was held on February 7‚ but postponed because City owner John Comitis and his attorney were indisposed.
City face the possibility‚ as a worst-case scenario‚ of expulsion or relegation from the PSL.
The PSL asserts that a resolution was passed eight years ago that no club would sign a sports betting company as a sponsor without permission until the league had carried out an investigation into the issue.
This investigation was never carried out.
City did not ask permission to sign the deal with SportPesa.
City also continued to wear the SportPesa logo on their shirts last season‚ despite never having‚ as required by PSL rules‚ the kit approved by the league‚ and having been directly instructed not to.
A charge of defiance in National Soccer League (NSL) rules can see a club expelled if found guilty.