Expelled! The Royal AM saga is finally over. On Thursday, PSL clubs voted overwhelmingly to expel Thwihli Thwahla from the league, bringing down the curtain on one of the most tumultuous periods in the modern history of South African football.
Image: Gerhard Duraan, BackpagePix
The Royal AM saga is finally over. On Thursday, PSL clubs voted overwhelmingly to expel Thwihli Thwahla from the league, bringing down the curtain on one of the most tumultuous periods in the modern history of South African football.
The vote to expel the club was taken after the South African Revenue Service, who had taken over the club to recoup some of the R40 million in taxes owed by owner Shauwn Mkhize, couldn’t find a suitable buyer.
With the club kicked out of the league, what happens to the players?
According to Football Union of South Africa secretary Taelo Motloung, they will all become free agents and will be able to sign for any team at any time.
"The termination of the team's PSL membership effectively nullifies their contracts, allowing players to explore new opportunities without restriction,” Motloung was quoted by KickOff.com.
"However, what's particularly concerning is that individuals who were owed money by Royal AM may not receive the compensation they are due. This adds to financial difficulties and uncertainty on their financial hardship for those already affected by the team's PSL membership termination."
The club was not able to pay salaries for the last two months as a result of being under curatorship. On top of that, they owed Serbian striker Samir Nurkovic over R11 million, and an undisclosed amount to Brazilian defender Ricardo Nascimento. Those two debts saw them handed a transfer ban by world football governing body FIFA.
One Royal AM player who will not likely find a new team, though, is attacking midfielder Andile Mpisane, who served as the club’s chairman, and is the son of owner Mkhize. Mpisane’s selection for official games saw the club criticised by fans and pundits as it often put the team on the back foot. In many quarters, it was labelled as a “mockery of South African football”.
The PSL is yet to announce the decision to expel, and how the league table will be affected now that the Betway Premiership is made up of just 15 teams.