Home | Sports | TINYOSI, R. LIONS MATCH IN LIMBO

TINYOSI, R. LIONS MATCH IN LIMBO

06/02/2016 09:07:00 BY CHRIS DLAMINI

Font size:

MBABANE – The game between Hhohho Super League side Vovovo FC and Red Lions in the Swazi Bank Cup is in limbo after the former ran to court.

Vovovo FC is, inter alia, seeking an order suspending the scheduled match and fixture in the SwaziBank Cup between Tinyosi and Red Lions while also seeking the Appeals Board to produce, before court, a record of the proceedings of the hearing decided on January 28th this year. The matter, which has been filed under a certificate of urgency, will be heard at 8:45am today after High Court Judge Mumcy Dlamini postponed it last night. The judge also ordered the Appeals Board to provide the court with the record of proceedings of their meeting where the decision to exclude Vovovo was taken.

This was after NFSA lawyer Sabela Dlamini applied that they be given a chance to file their papers so that the court could deal with the matter holistically.
Vovovo FC also want the court to review and set aside the decision of the National Football Association of Swaziland to exclude the team and submitting the name of Tinyosi as a representative of the HRFA in the knockout tournament while also setting aside the January 28 Appeals Board verdict.

The team’s lawyer, Mandla Mkhwanazi, yesterday informed the court that they decided to seek legal recourse after having exhausted all avenues within the NFSA structure. He contended that the NFSA flouted its own constitution when it ordered them to approach the international football body in this matter. The game is scheduled for this afternoon at Somhlolo National Stadium with kick-off set for 2pm.

The matter was heard at 5pm at the High Court and Mandla Mkhwanazi represented the applicant while the Appeals Board, Tinyosi, Lobamba Wanderers, SwaziBank Cup Management Committee (MC), HRFA and Red Lions were all respondents.
The applicant in its notice of application seeks a Rule Nisi (interim order) issued, returnable on a date to determined by the above Court, calling upon the Respondents to show cause why an order in the following terms should not be made final.

“On 19th November 2015, Vovovo appeared before the NFAS Disciplinary Committee, charged for contravening Article 7 (1) (d), 7.1 (9) and 4 (10) of the HRFA Super League Rules and Regulations 2015/16 for allegedly assaulting an assistant referee and causing the abandonment of the game and bringing the name of football into disrepute.

“In the first count relating to the assault of the assistant referee, Vovovo (Applicant) was found guilty and fined E1 000, half of which was suspended for the rest of the season. On the second count of failing to control its fans, the applicant was acquitted. We were also acquitted on the third count of causing the abandonment of the game and a replay was ordered,” said Vovovo Chairman Sipho ‘Tsetla’ Bhembe in his founding affidavit.