Cape Town Spurs are fighting back in a bid to retain winger Asanele Velebayi.

The 22-year-old was declared a free agent by the Premier Soccer League Dispute Resolution Chamber (DRC) on the basis that Spurs, who were relegated to the ABC Motsepe League, are now an amateur team and their “professional contract” with Velebayi is invalid.

Velebayi has since joined Kaizer Chiefs on a free transfer.

Spurs, however, are not throwing in the towel and have filed an appeal with the SA Football Association (SAFA) Arbitration Tribunal and with the review application in place, Velebayi will have to watch from the sidelines… for now.

According to the National Soccer League (NSL) Handbook, Clause 24.4 states, “An appeal against an order of the Dispute Resolution Chamber will suspend the operation of that order pending the finalisation of any appeal or arbitration.”

In simple terms, Spurs’ appeal means Velebayi still belongs to the Cape Town club until the appeal is finalised.

Spurs are adamant that the ruling in the player’s favour is detrimental to South African football, especially at the grassroots level.

“While on the surface it appears to be a victory for player freedom, the ruling is a legal and logical catastrophe—one built on contradictory reasoning and a willful ignorance of contractual law,” said Spurs.

“More alarmingly, it has fired a fatal shot into the heart of football development, threatening to make long-term investment in young talent an unsustainable and, ultimately, pointless endeavour…

“It tells every development club in the country that their investment is worthless. It signals that a player, nurtured for a decade at immense cost, can simply walk away the moment adversity strikes, leaving the club with nothing but millions in losses.”

The arbitration date is yet to be confirmed.