The Eastern Cape ABC Motsepe League is going down to the wire with just two points separating Lion City on top with 64 points and Tornado second with just two points behind.
However, a dramatic change of the log-standings may happen on Friday with Tornado toppling the Port Elizabeth outfit and going a single point in front.
That is if the South African Football Association (Safa) invokes clause 27.4 of its rules and regulations on the embattled bottom-of-the-table Blackburn Rovers.
The rule states that any club failing to show up for three matches in a season “will have its membership/affiliation/participation terminated from the league”.
Rovers will be appearing before the Safa disciplinary committee on Thursday facing charges about contravening the aforementioned clause after they recorded three walkovers thus far this season.
If found guilty, all points earned against Rovers by the other 15 clubs in the provincial league will be deducted.
This will be bad news for City, who gained six points from beating Rovers twice, while their Mdantsane nemesis Tornado will smile all the way to the log summit with losing just three points for their solitary win against the beleaguered basement dwellers.
Safa-Eastern Cape secretary Isaac Klaas confirmed Rovers’ appearance before Safa DC, adding that the outcome will be known by Friday.
Tornado coach Thobela Bikwani said they respected the DC process but was confident the ruling will be in their favour.
“The rules are simple and I can safely say to you we are highly likely to be champions by Saturday,” said Bikwani, whose side have been rampant with high scoring in the last third of the 2015-16 campaign, which officially comes to an end next weekend.
Indeed, if Rovers are expelled from the league as expected and Tornado go on to win against Emperors FC and City lose in their encounter against Swartkops Valley United Brothers the Mdantsane side will be declared season champions.
Bikwani said Tornado were ready to let go of the three points earned from Rovers.
His City counterpart, Gcobani Chithwa – the youngest mentor in the league – said his club was not worried about the Rovers situation.
“Our preoccupation is to win the two remaining matches and we believe we can as slipping up at this stage of the season is just not an option,” said Chithwa.
City will not have it easy in their next game against Subs who are currently lying 15th and fighting to avoid the chop.
Tornado too though, their confrontation with 12th-placed Emperors will not be a walk in the park as their opponents – with just a single point ahead of Subs – are also not safe from relegation.
Rovers are unlikely to contest their looming expulsion as they were on the verge of being relegated anyway.
Rovers league place hangs by a thin thread
However, a dramatic change of the log-standings may happen on Friday with Tornado toppling the Port Elizabeth outfit and going a single point in front.
That is if the South African Football Association (Safa) invokes clause 27.4 of its rules and regulations on the embattled bottom-of-the-table Blackburn Rovers.
The rule states that any club failing to show up for three matches in a season “will have its membership/affiliation/participation terminated from the league”.
Rovers will be appearing before the Safa disciplinary committee on Thursday facing charges about contravening the aforementioned clause after they recorded three walkovers thus far this season.
If found guilty, all points earned against Rovers by the other 15 clubs in the provincial league will be deducted.
This will be bad news for City, who gained six points from beating Rovers twice, while their Mdantsane nemesis Tornado will smile all the way to the log summit with losing just three points for their solitary win against the beleaguered basement dwellers.
Safa-Eastern Cape secretary Isaac Klaas confirmed Rovers’ appearance before Safa DC, adding that the outcome will be known by Friday.
Tornado coach Thobela Bikwani said they respected the DC process but was confident the ruling will be in their favour.
“The rules are simple and I can safely say to you we are highly likely to be champions by Saturday,” said Bikwani, whose side have been rampant with high scoring in the last third of the 2015-16 campaign, which officially comes to an end next weekend.
Indeed, if Rovers are expelled from the league as expected and Tornado go on to win against Emperors FC and City lose in their encounter against Swartkops Valley United Brothers the Mdantsane side will be declared season champions.
Bikwani said Tornado were ready to let go of the three points earned from Rovers.
His City counterpart, Gcobani Chithwa – the youngest mentor in the league – said his club was not worried about the Rovers situation.
“Our preoccupation is to win the two remaining matches and we believe we can as slipping up at this stage of the season is just not an option,” said Chithwa.
City will not have it easy in their next game against Subs who are currently lying 15th and fighting to avoid the chop.
Tornado too though, their confrontation with 12th-placed Emperors will not be a walk in the park as their opponents – with just a single point ahead of Subs – are also not safe from relegation.
Rovers are unlikely to contest their looming expulsion as they were on the verge of being relegated anyway.
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