Phalaborwa United team manager Nyiko Shithlelane has confirmed to FARPost that the club will lodge an immediate appeal against their two-year expulsion from the SAFA Limpopo ABC Motsepe League.
Speaking exclusively to FARPost following the ruling, Shithlelane slammed the disciplinary process as unfair, declaring that the club will fight the decision to protect the livelihoods of its players and staff.
“It’s a very disheartening decision that they took, but it’s a case that we are going to appeal,” Shithlelane told FARPost. “It’s not the end of the fight. Actually, the fight has just begun now. It’s something that we expected, and it was not a surprise when it came out like that. However, we feel it was a very biased decision because they didn’t consider all the parties affected.
“We are a team with more than 40 players and other staff who depend on this club for a monthly salary. Expelling us means more than 50 families are now left to suffer.”
THE INCIDENT THAT SPARKED THE SAFA BAN
The disciplinary action stems from a chaotic Nedbank Cup qualifier match in Limpopo last month between Phalaborwa United and Vondwe XI Bullets.
With roughly 10 minutes remaining and the match locked at 0-0, the match referee awarded a late penalty to Vondwe XI Bullets. Following intense protest and consultation with his assistant officials, the referee overturned his decision, awarding a free-kick outside the penalty box instead.
However, in a dramatic twist that further escalated tension on the pitch, the referee reversed his call once more and reinstated the penalty in favour of Vondwe XI Bullets.
The erratic decision-making enraged Phalaborwa United players, technical staff, and travelling supporters. The situation rapidly deteriorated into violence, forcing the referee to sprint off the pitch to escape an advancing mob.
SAFA LIMPOPO DISCIPLINARY RULING
On Thursday, 1 October 2026, the SAFA Limpopo Disciplinary Committee [DC] announced its verdict, finding Phalaborwa United guilty of multiple counts of misconduct and referee assault. The committee handed down an immediate two-year suspension from all football activities, effectively banishing the club from the ABC Motsepe League.
Despite the heavy sanction, Phalaborwa United remain adamant that the DC failed to afford them a fair hearing and are confident that SAFA’s national appeals structure will review the severity of the sentence.
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