By Chris Totobela
The Rhodes University men’s football team was dealt a huge blow when they were sidelined in the Nedbank Cup preliminary round of the Sarah Baartman region. According to South African Football Association (Safa) Sarah Baartman district’s secretary, Bongani Jibiliza, the local side was found guilty of fielding illegitimate players’ cards during their two-legged play-off match, which of Rhodes University won comfortably.
The fixture list for the Nedbank Cup preliminary round has been issued and there is no sign of Rhodes as they have been replaced by the Port Alfred-based Arrows. This means the varsity team has forfeited its victory and regional league status, a huge blow considering how hard they have worked to earn that promotion. Head coach Thembelani “Bravo” Mzalazala was disappointed. “I’m not happy with how the whole matter was handled. We won our games and I know that our opponents played under a complaint and it was shocking to see that our boys will not be part of the Nedbank Cup preliminary games taking part this weekend. No one communicated with us as we only found out when the fixture was issued.”
Mzalazala believes that football politics are at play here. “We work so hard as coaches to be where we are today but all the results of our hard work have been taken away just like that.”
Who is to blame for this calamity? Is it Makana LFA, who allowed Rhodes University to use the previous season’s players’ cards throughout the season or the Rhodes management team for not conducting proper research before their play-off encounter, to make sure that all the required documentation is in place?
Rhodes University’s sports administrator, Siya Dumiso, would to go into details on a matter that he said was still under debate. “I don’t know why the fixture was issued without Rhodes University while the matter is still under investigation.”
Safa Sarah Baartman district’s secretary Bongani Jibiliza said Rhodes was excluded because they lost their case and they were informed.
Makana LFA was also afforded the opportunity to share their views on the matter as this seems to be an administrative error that has cost Rhodes University their place in the regional league but did not respond.
This comes after some local football icons have recently voiced out their dissatisfaction with how local football is run and it is hoped the current setback will be addressed swiftly to avoid going through the same thing at the end of the current season.
