Thinasonke Mbuli questions SAFA DC award of TS Galaxy replay

The Mpumalanga outfit was charged and pleaded guilty of failing to arrive on time for a Hollywoodbets Super League clash in Cape Town on 20 July 2024, and subsequently entered into a plea agreement. 

While they were fined R10 000, as well as the cost of the SAFA DC hearing as well as costs of match day activities for UWC, the SAFA DC ordered a replay, which Mbuli says makes no sense.

"The first line on that outcome, it says they pleaded guilty, so I didn't know in football you can plead guilty and then the judge says, 'Ok, because you pleaded guilty, we're going to feel sorry for you, and you must play again,'" bemoaned the coach.

"That ruling of playing again, I think, is 5.3 – the first two points declaring that they were wrong, it means now that any team can be late and go to a [DC] and say, 'We are pleading guilty,' and then we can play again."

Mbuli added that the long season is starting to take its toll on the players, competing in the Hollywoodbets Super League, after having also won Varsity Football tournament as well as the CAF Champions League COSAFA qualifiers.

"I think it's that time of the season – the players are fatigued, we said we were happy coming back from the [COSAFA qualifiers] with no injuries, but now I think it's coming back to us," she added.

"Because we've had two tournaments overlapping, first the Varsity [cup] and then the COSAFA, so you can see – players are not injured, but it's that time of the year when the legs are becoming heavy now.

"So we have to come up with ways to keep them fresh - we are playing on Tuesday, again on Saturday, and the good thing is that we are playing both games at home, maybe that will help."

READ: UWC coach laments poor officiating after suffering setback