/ 15 May 2018

Ajax Cape Town relegated after being found guilty in Ndoro saga

Ndoro was accused of violating Fifa regulations by playing for three clubs in one season.
Ndoro was accused of violating Fifa regulations by playing for three clubs in one season.

Ajax Cape Town plans to take legal action after a South African Football Association (Safa) ruling saw the club automatically relegated from the lucrative Premier League.

This after Safa ruled that Ajax had illegally fielded footballer Tendai Ndoro, docking the Mother City team nine points. The footballer himself receiving a two-match suspension.

Ajax will now seek an urgent court interdict to stop the relegation/promotion playoffs from taking place.

Safa announced the verdict on Tuesday meaning the Cape Town side has to forfeit three matches and will be fined R50 000 for each game.

This result now sees the Urban Warriors lose nine points — falling from 31 to 22 — meaning that they are automatically relegated.

Ndoro was accused of violating Fifa regulations by playing for three clubs in one season. Platinum Stars, Polokwane City and SuperSport United protested Ndoro’s eligibility. The PSL charged Ajax with using a player who had already played for two different clubs previously in a single season.

But the PSL’s own disciplinary structures did not find Ajax guilty and an appeal against the decision delivered an inconclusive verdict. The issue was sent to Fifa for resolution only for world football’s governing body to send it right back to the PSL.

The matter over Ndoro’s eligibility went to a Safa arbitration. Ndoro played a game for Orlando Pirates in August‚ then signed for and played for Al Faisaly in Saudi Arabia. He signed for Ajax in late December and has played seven games for them since.

The league standings now see SuperSport get three points and jump from 11th place to 7th. Polokwane City jump from 13th to 10th, with a goal difference of zero and AmaZulu fall out of the top eight, with ‎Matsatsantsa taking their place. Dikwena will now contest the relegation playoffs against Black Leopards and Jomo Cosmos.