Tornado hammer Subs to win Motsepe League honours
For the first time since the club’s inception, Tornado defended their ABC Motsepe League title after hammering Swartkops Valley United Brothers (Subs) 4-0 at Fairview Sport Fields in Port Elizabeth at the weekend.
The Mdantsane-based third-tier league champions finished the league programme on 69 points after winning 21 games with six draws and just three losses.
Former National First Division (NFD) side Mthatha Bucks came through as the runners up of the competition after they hammered Birmingham City 4-0 at North End Stadium.
Bucks finished the league on 68 points.
But the unexpected happened and it might see the newly crowned champions losing a whopping six points.
Struggling Future Tigers failed to honour their last fixture of the season against Bush Bucks Academy. This was the third game that was a walkover for Tigers.
This means the provincial SA Football Association disciplinary committee will have to make a decision on whether to expel Tigers.
But it’s unlikely that Tigers will survive the boot from the league as the rules of the competition clearly state that should a club fail to honour three league fixtures they face expulsion from the third-tier league.
Should that be the case, all the points collected from Tigers will be deducted from all the clubs who beat them during the season.
This means the team that could be the champions could be Bizana Pondo Chiefs, who finished the league on 63 points at fourth place on the log as they only managed to beat Tigers once, losing the other match.
PE Stars, who finished third on 65 points, will also lose six points if the disciplinary committee decides to expel Tigers, as they also beat Tigers twice to collect six points.
Tornado coach Tshepo Motsoeneng said despite everything that might happen, winning the league was a farewell to their deceased boss Siphiwo “Mawawa” Nyobo, who was killed in March.
The former Free State Stars goalie said they would focus on their preparations for the ABC Motsepe League promotional playoffs in Cape Town in June.
“He’s (Nyobo) been our umbrella, and we want to thank him and family for that by winning the league, and now it’s up to us and it make it real and qualify for NFD.
“But if anything has to happen in the boardroom whatever it is that we don’t know – we don’t have power over it,” said Motsoeneng.
He said the decision that will be taken by Safa’s DC will not impact them as they won the league on the field of play.
“As young coaches and players we have now won the league back to back and that’s never happened in this province in this league and in the history of this club, and we are looking forward to the playoffs.”
Other results: Sibanye 3 Butterworth 0, Amavarara 1 PE Stars 3, Matta Millan 6 Yaka United 2, Highbury 2 The Guys 0..
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