National First Division (NFD) side Ajax Cape Town are going the legal route after failing to get a promotion/play-offs spot.

Ajax have finished fourth in the NFD behind Tshakhuma Tsha Madzivhandila. Both sides ended with 51 points, but the Limpopo side have a better goal difference.

Stellenbosch United ended their campaign in the first spot and won automatic promotion, while Royal Eagles took the second place.

Tshakhuma and Eagles therefore qualified to play in the play-offs, together with the team that will finish 15th in the Absa Premiership, but Ajax are attempting to stop the play-offs that are set to start on May 15 through the courts.

The bone of contention is that Tshakhuma were charged and fined R30,000 for failing to field two U-23 players in a league encounter against TS Sporting, which they won 3-0 at Thohoyandou Stadium in April.

Ajax appear to believe that Tshakhuma should have been docked points, and Sowetan has established that's the reason they have filed papers in the South Gauteng High Court in Johannesburg.

The matter has been set down for tomorrow at 10am, according to court papers in our possession.

Ajax are taking the matter to a normal court, despite the fact that the Premier Soccer League (PSL) has decided to appeal the decision to only fine Tshakhuma by the league's disciplinary committee, which is an independent body.

Ajax chief executive Ari Efstathiou is apparently out of the country and couldn't be reached to elaborate on the club's case.

PSL spokesperson Lux September, meanwhile, declined to comment.

Efforts to reach all the other listed respondents - SA Football Association, Tshakhuma and Royal Eagles, drew a blank yesterday.

The play-offs are due to start with a clash between Eagles and Tshakhuma on May 15 and will run until June 1.