The legal battle between the world football governing body FIFA and former SAFA chief executive officer, Leslie Sedibe, is far from over.
FIFA has escalated the protracted tussle to the Supreme Court of Appeal in Bloemfontein to challenges the High Court order which attached its trademarks.
Sedibe won the first round of the battle in the High Court in Pretoria in which he sought an order to review FIFA’s findings and the sanction imposed on him.
Sedibe was banned by FIFA’s Independent Ethics Committee for five years in 2016 for his alleged role in the match-fixing of the four international friendly matches against Bafana Bafana ahead of the 2010 FIFA World Cup.
Justice Mahomed Navsa suggested to Sedibe’s counsel, Advocate Gerrie Meyer, that they seemed to have taken matters a bit too far.
“Can I ask you this: isn’t it just opportunistic? Isn’t this just a way of twisting FIFA’s arm? Because FIFA’S trademarks, once they’re attached FIFA, would have to give it up simply because it needs its trademark to operate globally,” Navsa said.
“Yes, that is correct, my Lord, trademarks are important for this entity,” responded Advocate Meyer.
VIDEO: Former SAFA officials banned for match-fixing allegations
