Pictures | Comic scenes as TWO

Royal AM celebrate GladAfrica title victory. picture- Royal AM

Pictures | Comic scenes as TWO GladAfrica Championship sides celebrate winning the league!

A thrilling GladAfrica Championship league campaign came to an exhilarating end on Sunday afternoon, but did it really?

Pictures | Comic scenes as TWO

Royal AM celebrate GladAfrica title victory. picture- Royal AM

A thrilling GladAfrica Championship league campaign came to an exhilarating end on Sunday afternoon.

But did it really?

The picture was a simple but very tight and nerve-wracking one for the top two sides on the log, Sekhukhune United as well as Royal AM going on to the final round of fixtures on Sunday. Both sides entered the pitch for the final time this season with 50 points apiece on the board, but that is not the only thing they had, as the dark cloud of a PSL/Disciplinary Committee ruling from an impending case still hanging over the spectacle and adding to the uncertainty surrounding it.

Where all the confusion started

When one breaks down the situation they will establish that all the confusion started on the 19 May, when the PSL/DC decided to award Sekhukhune three points in an effort to punish Polokwane City who had failed to comply with the league’s rule that a team should field at least five u23 South African u23 players in each matchday squad.

PSL then took back their verdict

Polokwane City accepted that they’re guilty in this regard and did not challenge it, but then in a strange turn of events, the PSL/DC took back the three points they had initially awarded Sekhukhune as the wronged party in that particular fixture, claiming that they would have to “explore” the matter further before making a final ruling on it.

It all culminated in Sunday’s fiasco

It all came to a dramatic finale to match the occasion, as Royal AM scored a late equaliser after being awarded a late penalty. Their 1-1 draw then took them to the summit of the log, while Sekhukhune were also under the impression that they had secured a victory that would take them up to 53 points after beating JDR Stars 3-1. With that in mind, both teams celebrated, with Royal AM believing their 51 points was enough to see of the 50 points they understood Sekhukhune to be on.

The day before, the PSL confirmed that they would have to delay the handing over of the trophy as they had been “threatened”.

 “The Premier Soccer League has been threatened and served with Court papers in relation to an arbitration award handed down impacting the GladAfrica Championship table.

“The matter must clearly be ventilated one way or the other and resolved. The league responsibility is to properly consider the matter and take advice to ensure that all disputes and differences are finalised urgently and without delay.

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“While the matter remains in dispute, it is advisable to delay the GladAfrica Championship trophy handover for a short period to permit the league to consider the matter. The matches will continue, and the results will be arrived at, and the issues resolved the league undertakes to resolve whatever issues there are as expeditiously as possible,” the statement read.

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