SAFA Arbitration — Update | 25 May 2026
Black Leopards’ wait for clarity continues. Chairman Tshifhiwa Thidiela confirmed this week that the SAFA arbitration panel hearing the club’s case against the PSL has not yet delivered its verdict, despite a lengthy session earlier in the week that ran without producing a ruling.
What the case is about
Leopards argue that the PSL improperly withheld player registration cards at the start of the season over a FIFA ban that FIFA itself later confirmed had never existed. The club wants four early-season fixtures — against Casric Stars, AmaTuks, Lerumo Lions and Leicesterford City — replayed, on the basis that they were forced to field an ineligible side through no fault of their own. The relegation that followed in May, the argument goes, was a downstream consequence of a registration block that should never have been put in place.
Thidiela: “No outcome yet”
The chairman put the position in plain terms: “There’s no outcome yet from the SAFA arbitration.” The Monday hearing, he said, was “lengthy but concluded without a verdict,” with the panel still deliberating as the week closed. The club is represented by senior counsel Adv. Tembeka Ngcukaitobi — a signal of how seriously the boardroom is taking what is, in practice, the most important match of Leopards’ season.
What’s at stake — and the backup plan
Relegation was confirmed on 10 May despite a 2-1 win at Venda FC at Thohoyandou Stadium. A favourable arbitration ruling could overturn that result by reopening the four disputed fixtures and the points tally that flowed from them. Players have been told to stay on payroll until month-end while the wait continues. In parallel, the boardroom is also exploring the purchase of an existing professional status as a contingency route back, should the arbitration not go the club’s way.
