JOHANNESBURG - Mamelodi Sundowns will probably only receive a fine and keep their Nedbank Cup crown after putting a suspended Tebogo Langerman on their team sheet for the final against Bloemfontein Celtic on Saturday night.
Langerman received a fourth yellow card in the Premiership finale against Black Leopards, thus making him ineligible to feature in any part against Celtic in the showdown of the South African premier club knockout competition.
But to the surprise of the football fraternity, the 34-year-old left-back was on the bench when the Brazilians ran out victorious at Orlando Stadium.
Gaston Sirino’s solo goal ensured that the club bagged a domestic treble, having won the Telkom Knockout and league title earlier in the season.
In their attempts to prevent Sundowns from being crowned Nedbank Cup champions and have the result overturned, Celtic lodged an official complaint with the Premier Soccer League (PSL) after the final whistle.
However, it appears to be a matter of too little too late for Celtic as they should have protested the involvement of Langerman in the match-day squad 30 minutes before kick-off in line with Rule 51.3 of the PSL rules and regulations.
As said before, any punitive measure will have nothing to do with the outcome of the match. Precedents show that Member Clubs escape with a monetary fine. https://t.co/snzfmx6MFN
— Ace Ncobo - Spot On (@AceNcobo) September 13, 2020
“Let’s start with participation. Langerman was on the bench. Did he participate?” said former PSL general manager Ace Ncobo on his personal Twitter account.
“In terms of Rule 16.5, a player who is named in the team sheet is deemed to have participated in the match. So indeed, Langerman participated.
“Did Bloemfontein Celtic lodge a valid protest?
“From what I’m able to gather, Celtic made a submission after the match, which would then categorise their submission as a complaint rather than a protest.”
Ncobo added: “It therefore follows that Celtic did not lodge a protest with the League and therefore there is no disciplinary protest that places the match and its outcomes under review.”
Sundowns coach Pitso Mosimane said he was unaware of Langerman’s suspension prior to the final, considering that was a matter for the club.
However, he stressed that football should always be decided on the pitch.
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