15 May 2016

A lot of things happened in Botswana Football, some dramatic decision taken, that will take a century for the game to recover from the set back and embarrassment.

BOPA reporter, Anastacia Sibanda tries to connect the dots behind the Botswana Football 10 Point’s agenda.

Last weekend Mochudi Centre Chiefs were crowned 2015-2016 beMOBILE champions, after Township Rollers who have been seating at the summit for a better time of the premier league season were docked 10 points by Botswana Premier League Board.

Both Rollers supporters and management could not believe it when they were now relegated to position two .

Rollers took the matter up with the  Court of Arbitration for Sport based in  Lausanne ,Switzerland, on the same date that their nemesis were celebrating and lifting the lucrative trophy.  CAS deputy secretary general William Sternheimer has since replied to Township Rollers acknowledging receipt of their appeal and instructing them to courier some of the information.
Sternheimer also informed Rollers that Article R 48 paragraph 1 of the code of sports-related arbitration stipulated that the appeal shall contain the nomination of the arbitrator chosen by the appellant from

CAS list, unless the appellant requested the appointment of a sole arbitrator.

But why was Township Rollers docked 10 points because the only case before the BFA National Disciplinary Committee (NDC) was against Gilport Lions and passing their judgement they said Ofentse Nato was a defaulter and ordered that Rollers be docked three points and two goals?

The judgement further said BPL should apply the necessary sanctions against Rollers as per play rules and regulations article 6.2.1 which stipulates that “Any team that fields a defaulter in a league game and a complaint or protest or information about the use of an alleged defaulter is brought to the attention of the relevant league or disciplinary committee within 30 days of the date of the said league game, shall forfeit three  points and two goals to the opposing team for every game that the defaulter shall have played in a given season, provided that procedures relating to protests shall be adhered to.

After the appeals board judgement, BPL board met to enforce the judgement as instructed by the appeal board to apply the necessary sanctions against Rollers.

In their board meeting held on April 27, BPL board noted that Nato was  used by Township Rollers against Miscellaneous on April 2,Mochudi Centre Chiefs on April 9, and Police XI on April 16.

The resolution which BOPA is in possession of further states that in addition to the game against Gilport Lions which was the subject of the judgement and that the said had duly lodged protest/complaints with the league and that information of the use of Nato was brought to the attention of the league within 30 days, BPL board further resolved that Township Rollers be docked 10 points and eight goals being three points and two goals with respect to the games against Gilport Lions, Miscellaneous, and Police X1 and one point and two goals for their game against Mochudi Centre Chiefs. The resolutions was signed by nine out of 16 club chairpersons.

But in a dramatic turn of events, NDC has announced that Botswana Premier League acting chairperson Rapula Okaile will appear before their committee for dragging football in the mud.

NDC member Billy Sekgororwane made the prouncement on Friday that they concluded that Okaile acted unsporting when issuing his letter of April 28 instructing the acting Botswana Premier League CEO to deduct 10 points against Township Rollers. ENDS