24 Jul 2016

Township Rollers gaffer, Mark Harrison was an angry man after their abandoned much awaited be Mobile Premiership League deciding encounter against Mochudi Centre Chiefs at the Francistown Sports Complex on July 23.

Speaking in an interview, Harrison said what transpired on the day was a possible bringing the beautiful game of football into disrepute offence by Magosi.

He accused his opponents of having connived to ensure the game does not finish as expected, noting what transpired on the day was an absolute disgrace to the local game.

“Serious steps should be taken against the team for having availed such a number of players knowing that should one be injured, it will be the end of the game,” he said. 

He decried the time and costs incurred by his team in preparing for the game, only to be abandoned, recalling that they went through the same phase when the first league decider scheduled for June 15 was cancelled by the Botswana National Sports Commission at the eleventh hour.

The match was abandoned due to Chiefs being left with only six players after the injury of Arnold Mampori and therefore unable to continue with the game as per the Botswana Football Association (BFA) Play Rules and Regulations.

Rollers were leading the game 1-0 on the 30th minute after Joel ‘16’ Mogorosi tapped in a simple goal from a Terrence ‘Terror’ Mandaza cross.

Mampori then from the re-start kicked the ball out of play due to a recurring head injury earlier sustained at the beginning of the match, when he collided with Rollers captain, Maano Ditshupo.

The player had to be taken to hospital via an ambulance after the medical personnel failed to stabilise him on the sidelines of the pitch in order to be able to continue with the game.

Magosi had come to the game with only seven players available on their line-up, citing unavailability of other players due to some having retired, some with expired contracts and others nursing injuries, according to their stand-in coach Zaahid Jalal. 

He said they were coerced into the game despite having stated their case before BFA adding that they were put in a corner and were warned of dire consequences, hence they had to honour the fixture with seven players only.

“We made our stand very clear and were told we just have to play the game. We initially had six players and I had to renegotiate with the seventh player, Ayanda Molefhe who had resigned from the team, to reconsider showing up for the game,” he noted.

He said they then had to honour the game without the complete starting eleven, nor any substitutes sitting on the bench.

The BFA, through its CEO Kitso Kemoeng, who had taken over the responsibility of running the Botswana Premier League (BPL) after the suspension of the entire league board of governors, said he would wait for the official match report to see the way forward.

“I really cannot say much at this moment as this matter has legal implications and therefore I am limited as what to say regarding the way forward. However, the game has been played up to where it ended as you have witnessed too,” he said.He said some technical issues need to be further interpreted and the match report from the match officials.

Meanwhile, supporters demanded their P40 entry fee.Katlego Mholo said he spent quite substantially on his trip from Gaborone to witness the game.

Another supporter, Kelebogile Pono wondered whether Chiefs’ complaints that they had few players were never considered when the decision to play the game was arrived at.He said they were hurt as supporters to have spent their hard-earned money to witness such a game only for it not to live up to expectations.

Rollers had brought to the game their usual complete squad while Chiefs fielded only Edwin Mokibe as goalkeeper and Tshepo Baipoledi, Kaelo Kgaswane, Thatayaone Ramatlapeng, Mampori, Molefhe and Ronald Fortune. Ends