WINDHOEK – Anxious local football followers will have to wait a bit longer, 10 days to be precise, before hearing the verdict on the prolonged appeal filed by troubled Katutura football club, African Stars, against its expulsion from all football-related activities.
A three-member Namibia Football Association (NFA) Appeals Committee – under the stewardship of well-known local legal practitioner, Clement Daniels – converged at the NFA Football House on Saturday to hear arguments from African Stars’ legal representatives, Patrick Kauta (Stars) and Johan du Plessis (representing Sydney Martin and Clint Dauti), while Clysken Makando represented MTC Namibia Premier League (NPL).
After marathon deliberations that lasted almost six hours, the Appeals Committee resolved to thoroughly study all the relevant information presented at the gathering before delivering a verdict on Wednesday, 27 August 2014.
At the centre of the storm is African Stars’ resolution and subsequent action to take the NPL to court after the country’s flagship league failed to substantiate its decision to have their abandoned league match against Orlando Pirates replayed over the remaining eight minutes.
The league felt aggrieved and accused Stars of bringing the game of football into disrepute and in the process souring the relationship between the NPL and its principal sponsors (MTC).
Charismatic NPL Chairman, Johnny “JJD” Doeseb, charged that in accordance with the NPL Constitution Article 10, an Extra-Ordinary General Assembly Meeting was hastily convened to decide on the fate of Stars.
The club was subsequently charged of having contravened the provisions of the NPL Constitution Article 25.1 as a result of court cases lodged by the Reds against the NFA, NPL and the remaining 11 clubs in the NPL. The hastily arranged General Assembly resolved to summarily expel Stars through a voting process, but Stars would have none of that, vehemently questioning the legality of the Assembly, while likening the proceedings to a kangaroo court.
“In accordance with Article 10.1.3 of the NPL Constitution by way of a secret ballot, the Extra Ordinary General Assembly of the NPL decided on the cessation of African Stars SC (Pty) Ltd membership from the Namibia Premiership.
In addition, the General Assembly Meeting also imposed the following sanctions on African Stars and its officials: Cancellation of the membership of African Stars SC (Pty) Ltd with immediate effect for two full football seasons from the NPL and all football-related activities under the auspices of the NPL.
The club was also fined N$200 000, which shall be paid in two installments, with the first installment payable on or before 15 August 2014, and the final installment on or before 15 September 2014.
Stars shot back claiming that the General Assembly has no jurisdiction whatsoever to preside over their fate since they were the chief complainants in the dispute. It is also unclear in which division Stars will resume their activities when the suspension ends or whether the top-flight league will consists of 15 teams instead of the required 16-clubs in the absence of Stars.