29 Feb 2016

Botswana Premier League Disciplinary Committee (DC) is expected to make a ruling today (March 1) whether Mochudi Centre Chiefs meets the requirement of filing a protest concerning Township Rollers player, Ofentse Nato.

Centre Chiefs had lodged a protest that Nato was not properly registered hence he was not eligible to play in a Mascom Top 8 semi-final game that was played in Francistown on February 19.

However before going into the merits of the case, Township Rollers secretary general Khumoyame Masonya, who was representing the club, argued that Centre Chiefs did not follow the right procedure of lodging the protest as per the rules of Mascom Top 8 Article 5.1 which states that a protest shall be lodged before kick-off of the concerned match, and that all protests shall be accompanied by a protest fee of P10 000.

It says any team which lodges a protest verbally and fails to make a formal follow up shall be guilty of an offence attracting an automatic fine equivalent to the tournament protest fee.

However, Mochudi Centre Chiefs communications manager, Clifford Mogomotsi told the DC that he lodged a protest verbally to the Mascom Top 8 Local Organising Committee chairperson, Biki Mbenge before and after the game.

“I saw Mbenge at the tunnel after seeing Nato as the players were going for the warm up, and I immediately told him  we have reasonable belief that Nato was improperly registered by Township Rollers therefore we are going to protest.

Nonetheless, Mbenge confirmed to the DC that he met Mogomotsi at the tunnel, but said he never spoke to him as he was busy ushering dignitaries to greet the players before kick-off, and he has not received any protest from Chiefs officials even after the game.

Although Mbenge denied, Mogomotsi was adamant that he made a verbal protest to Mbenge, in that regard DC chairperson Busang Manewe adjourned the hearing and said a ruling would be made on Tuesday and told the teams to file their submissions on Monday at the Premier League office.

According to Mascom Top 8 play rules and regulations article 5.2, any team that uses an improperly registered player shall be guilty of an offence and liable to a fine of not less than P20 000, but not more than P50 000 and an automatic disqualification from the tournament. Ends