A row about an allegedly fraudulent identity document used by Alfred Mosoeu, a player for Mangaung United, is threatening to throw the ABC Motsepe League national playoffs, set to take place next month, into jeopardy.
The Free State club qualified for the playoffs, which will determine which teams are promoted to the Motsepe Foundation Championship, but they are now accused of having fielded Mosoeu with questionable credentials.
Mosoeu’s accusers allege he’s a Lesotho national who acquired a South African ID illegally, but Mangaung vehemently deny this, saying they registered the player using his legitimate ID.
Mangaung will represent Free State in the playoffs, which will involve other provinces, with Ravens (Eastern Cape), La Masia (Gauteng) and NC Professionals (Northern Cape) all confirmed as finalists, while five other provinces are still to decide their regional league winners.
Sowetan has been informed that the Free State region runners-up, Sasolburg United, are planning to lodge a case against Mangaung over the Mosoeu matter. This publication has seen what is said to be Mosoeu’s SA ID copy and documents purporting to show his travels since 2014.
Mosoeu’s name also appears in the Lesotho national squad, but Mokhosi Mohapi, the secretary of the Lesotho FA, has exonerated the player.
“He only attended a national training camp and did not play for us. I know this thing has been coming all the time from Bloemfontein teams and they don’t want to get the facts,” Mohapi said.
A Sasolburg official, who asked not to be named, said Mosoeu played in most of Mangaung’s matches this season and was only withdrawn from the last four fixtures after questions about his nationality emerged.
“There is a matter the club is investigating, and possibly they are going to put in a case,” said the Sasolburg official, whose team stands to be immediate beneficiaries should Mangaung be disqualified.
“That player currently has a dubious ID, and he has been playing for Mangaung for six years. He used a Lesotho passport to enter the country in 2014, and suddenly he has an SA ID?” the official claimed.
But Mangaung media liaison officer Orapeleng Manopole dismissed the rumours as baseless, saying Mosoeu was born in SA and has a legitimate ID, which was used to register him on the mySAFA system.
“I can only speak to the documents the club has used to register this player,” he said. “There is nothing like that. The player has been here for a while, and he has never featured for the Lesotho national team.”
Last year, Highlands Park was docked 62 points for fielding an ineligible player, Chigamezu Franklin Ogbonna, who used fraudulent visa documents in the Gauteng ABC Motsepe League. The penalty caused them to fall from first place to relegation.
Sasolburg chairman Nditsheni Nemasisi refused to comment.
Would you like to comment on this article?
Sign up (it's quick and free) or sign in now.
Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.