Poor officiating forces Mpumalanga club to pull out of ABC Motsepe League

Seven games into the SAFA Mpumalanga ABC Motsepe League, poor match officiating has forced Appollo XI club to pull out from the provincial amateur league.

Due to consistent poor refereeing in their past four matches, Apollo XI has opted to withdraw from the 2024/25 season.

Currently, Apollo XI sit in fourth place on the log standings with 14 points from seven matches. In those seven games, the team won four, tied two, and only lost one.

As things stand, the club does not seem to be changing its decision. This will force the Mpumalanga ABC Motsepe League to end up with 17 teams. The clubs are currently fighting for the title honours to qualify for the national playoffs for a promotion spot to the Motsepe Foundation Championship.

WHAT THE CLUB’S CHAIRMAN SAID ABOUT THEIR DECISION TO WITHDRAW FROM ABC MOTSEPE LEAGUE

Thabo Shabangu, the chairman of the club, told a source close to this publication that anyone interested in the team can have it for free.

The club believes that their choice will show SAFA the need to address the misconduct in the Mpumalanga ABC Motsepe League regarding referees.

Appollo XI are said to be investing more than R200k each month to maintain the team, so they prefer losing their status rather than surpassing R5 million for the entire season.

“I’m leaving this football; let them call me a coward. I don’t care,” said club chairman Thabo Shabangu. “But what I know is that I’m sending a message to SAFA. They can see that they are failing the province and those who are investing in this game.

“Whoever wants the team can get it absolutely free of charge. They can just change the name. We are in position four, and they can take it from there.”

Appollo XI next league assignment is against Phuti FC away from home on Wednesday, 6 November 2024. The game will kick off set at 15:00 at Lynnville Stadium.

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