The Namibia Premier League (NPL) has lost its expulsion appeal case against the Namibia Football Association (NFA) at the Court of Arbitration for Sports (CAS).
In a judgment delivered on Monday by the Sole Arbitrator, Luigi Fumagalli, a professor and attorney in Milan, Italy, the appeal filed by the NPL on 16 March 2020 was dismissed with costs because “the object of the arbitration is the challenged decisions, that is, the convocation of the 28th Ordinary Congress, as well as any decision taken at such 28th Ordinary Congress, including the decision confirming the appellant’s (NPL’s) suspension, [which] were deemed legal”.
NPL says it has forwarded the ruling by CAS on its expulsion challenge to its lawyers.
In a media release seen by Nampa on Monday, the NPL said it noted the decision issued by Fumagalli, in particular where he affirms that the NPL’s suspension lapsed when the Namibia Football Association (NFA) failed to submit the suspension of the NPL at the 15th Extraordinary Congress of 09 November 2019, resulting in the conclusion that the NPL’s membership rights were restored and that it had the full right to be invited, participate and to attend the 28th Ordinary Congress on 22 February 2020.
“This has always been the basis upon which the NPL approached the CAS (16 March 2020) and the NPL is pleased that its legal position has been vindicated,” the statement, signed by the NPL executive committee and availed by its chief executive officer, Harald Fülle, said.
NFA president, Ranga Haikali said they are not surprised by the outcome of the case at CAS.
“We have received and read the outcome. It is nothing surprising. We have always been saying that. Now we hope that the former member will not continue to hold football at ransom,” he said.
Haikali added that they had created an all-inclusive league, which has so far attracted 12 teams and called on the four remaining teams who had indicated that they will only join the Namibia Premier Football League (NPFL) after the CAS ruling, to come on board.
Source: Namibia Press Agency
