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.
In its attempt to prevent Sundowns from being crowned Nedbank Cup champions and have the result overturned, Celtic lodged a complaint with the Premier Soccer League (PSL) after the final whistle.
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.
“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.”
Coach Pitso Mosimane said he was not aware of Langerman’s suspension before the final, considering that was a matter for the club., stressing that football should always be decided on the pitch.
