27 Aug 2017

Debswana First Division North chairperson, Mpenzeni Sambandawe has warned football officials who have a habit of bringing the league into disrepute that stern action will be taken against them.

Addressing a meeting of teams that ply their trade in the league in Francistown on August 26th, he mentioned that there was an emerging pattern of football administrators who were in the habit of raising the league’s issues outside established structures.

This, he noted, demonstrated that these individuals did not understand why they were involved in football. In addition, he highlighted that if they had the interest of football at heart, they would follow laid down procedures to raise their grievances rather than airing their concerns in public platforms such as the media.
 

He explained that football should unite rather divide people, noting that if the committee that was in office has some deficiencies, they have to be guided and counseled rather than be unduly criticised in public.
 

On other issues, he explained that because some teams in the First Division North were not welcoming to the new committee, they had resorted to enforcing the constitution to protect their sponsors.

“The committee will take stringent measures against any team that disrupts matches. We have been lenient hoping that teams will comply with the law, but we will start cracking the whip,” he warned.

Sambandawe explained that with the new developments in football, a lot of administrators would be kicked out due to lack of compliance with Play Rules and Regulations. On a positive note, he informed delegates that the First Division North league had been given an office at the Francistown Sports Complex for ease of administration.

Consequently, he explained that beginning this year, the top three teams in the league would be rewarded in a prize giving ceremony and that the top goal scorers would be remunerated at the end of the season.

For his part, the secretary general of the league, Rapula Gaothobogwe implored club administrators to learn procedures and familiarise themselves with club licencing requirements.

Furthermore, he advised teams to lodge protest only when the Botswana Football Association laws and FIFA statutes had been violated.

On other issues, BFA Competitions and Regions Coordinators, Steve Maleka informed members of the First Division North league to comply with the electronic registration of players during the stipulated time so that they could participate in football activities.

 He informed them that FIFA stipulates that players should be registered under football regions using an electronic card.
 “Those who will fail to register within this period cannot participate,” he said.
 

He also implored teams to take players for medical examination, information which should also be kept electronically. Ends