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In what will go down as one of the harshest sentences in South African football, a Limpopo second-division club was docked a record 62 points on Friday.
As a result Madritas have moved from champions to automatic relegation from the ABC Motsepe League to the Castle Regional League in Limpopo.
They had accumulated 64 points in their 30 league matches.
Madritas have forfeited their spot in the national play-offs which will kick off in Cape Town on Tuesday.
Their place has been taken by Mikhado FC who will now represent the province in Cape Town for a place in the National First Division.
Mikhado had finished as runners up on 58 points.
Tebogo Motlanthe, who was helping Safa with the cases following his resignation last month, yesterday confirmed the arbitration’s verdict.
He said Madritas was found guilty of using a fraudulent clearance by the Safa Disciplinary Committee (DC) last weekend.
“They were docked 62 points by the DC and they appealed the decision. Then the arbitrator upheld the decision of the DC and we all know that the arbitrator’s decision is final and binding. In his judgment the arbitrator said the club did not show any remorse,” said Motlanthe.
He said the club was short of being expelled altogether.
Motlanthe said the deducted points were not going to be given to any club.
“Remember this was not a protest but rather a complaint. If it is a protest then the club which has lodged the protest gets awarded the points, but if it is a complaint the points are expunged.”
He said, according to the DC, the Madritas were found to have used the fraudulently registered player Sibusiso Nsimba, whose clearance was found to be altered.
This is not the first time a club has been docked points and relegated.
A few seasons ago, Carara Kicks were docked 18 points by the PSL DC after they were found guilty of fielding an improperly registered player in 2012.
Meanwhile, Motlanthe was confident the play-offs would go ahead as planned even though there were still outstanding cases.
Yesterday, the arbitrator was busy with cases involving North West clubs – Young Zebras against Buya Msuthu and Casric against Buya Msuthu.
He said there were also cases involving Eastern Cape sides Tornado and Mthatha Bucks.
Other cases which will be heard tomorrow involve Dondolo FC and Leruma United of Gauteng.
“We have to conclude all these cases before the play-offs start on Tuesday and I’m confident we will do so,” said Motlanthe, who said he was called in to assist with the cases.
