The fixtures were temporarily held back last week as the Safa disciplinary committee in Gauteng was dealing with a match protest lodged by Kimberley’s Diamond City FC.
THE DELAYED third leg of the Nedbank Cup competition gets under way this weekend with two semi-final matches and the final to be played at the Ditloung Stadium in Olifantshoek.
The fixtures were temporarily held back last week as the Safa disciplinary committee in Gauteng was dealing with a match protest lodged by Kimberley’s Diamond City FC for a game they lost against Colville United in the opening rounds.
According to Safa NC secretary Willem Coetzee, the Diamond City protest was dismissed by the disciplinary committee which heard the matter at a sitting earlier in the week.
An insider at Safa HQ opined that it appears as though Diamond City FC had not acquainted themselves with the rules of the competition. “They had rushed to lodge a protest against what was essentially the match procedure followed by the referee in this competition,” he said.
Diamond City had complained that the match referee had not allowed for the two extra time 15 minutes of play on each side after the match had deadlocked with no goals being scored after regulation time.
This procedure was prescribed by the competition rules which the protesting Diamond City had seemingly missed.
True to form, Colville United on Wednesday afternoon this week, went ahead with fulfilling its outstanding second round fixture against Jacksa Spears FC of Jan Kempdorp in a match played at the Landbouskool grounds.
The two teams played two a goalless draw and the match was decided on penalty kicks.
Colville United managed to net thrice while Spears managed a single goal and missed the rest and so gave up a semi-final berth.
Colville United will now contest the third round’s second semi-final against a no less formidable opponent in De Aar’s United Rovers at the Ditloung Stadium in a 4pm appointment on Saturday.
In the first semi-final Upington’s Tornado FC will battle for supremacy of the berth against Kathu-based NC Professionals at 2pm.
The winners of each of the semi-final matches will, on Sunday, step on the turf at the Ditloung Stadium at 2pm to decide the championship.
Coetzee announced that the provincial finals of the Nedbank Cup will be held on October 8 at an as-yet undisclosed venue.