[ad_1]
By Mihlali Baleka 
10h ago
JOHANNESBURG – Mamelodi Sundowns will likely only be fined and retain his Nedbank Cup crown after putting a suspended Tebogo Langerman on his team sheet for the final against Bloemfontein Celtic on Saturday night.
Langerman received a fourth yellow card in the Premiership final against Black Leopards, making him ineligible to participate anywhere against Celtic in the South African club knockout competition showdown.
But to the surprise of the soccer brotherhood, the 34-year-old left-back was on the bench when the Brazilians were victorious at Orlando Stadium.
Gaston Sirino’s solo goal ensured the club clinched a national treble, having won the Telkom Knockout and the league title earlier in the season.
In their attempts to prevent Sundowns from becoming Nedbank Cup champions and canceling the result, Celtic filed an official complaint with the Premier Soccer League (PSL) after the final whistle.
However, it appears to be a matter too late for Celtic as they should have protested Langerman’s participation in the match day team 30 minutes before kick-off according to 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. The history shows that the 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. He participated? “said former PSL general manager Ace Ncobo on his personal Twitter account.
“In terms of Rule 16.5, a player listed on the team sheet is considered to have participated in the match. In fact, Langerman participated.
“Did Bloemfontein Celtic file a valid protest?
“From what I can gather Celtic made a presentation after the game, which would then categorize their presentation as a complaint rather than a protest.”
Ncobo added: “It follows therefore that Celtic did not file a protest with the League and therefore there is no disciplinary protest that puts the match and its results under review.”
Sundowns coach Pitso Mosimane said he was unaware of Langerman’s suspension before the final, considering it was a club affair.
However, he stressed that football must always be decided on the field.
@Mihlalibaleka
[ad_2]
