17 Nov 2013

The Debswana First Division South encounter between Letlapeng and Black Peril on Saturday (November 16) had a nasty ending with supporters vying for the match officials’ blood.

The game, which was played at Siga grounds in Ramotswa, ended 0-0 and Letlapeng supporters felt hard done after Pare Rakhobo was on two occasions ruled to have scored from offside positions.

The Letlapeng marksman was first ruled offside five minutes into the second half before suffering the same fate 21 minutes later. The second call seemed to have rubbed the supporters the wrong way, as they started hurling insults to the referee and his assistants.

The bone of their contention was that the goal should have been allowed to stand as Rakhobo was reacting to a ball which Black Peril’ goalkeeper Lone Raseboko had parried on the direction of a charging player. And when the game ended, a fraction of the supporters went into the pitch to take the law into their own hands only for the officials to be rescued by the hosts officials and security.

Thus, the match officials’ crew was forced to take a refuge on the pitch for a considerable amount of time fearing for their lives. In an interview after the game, Letlapeng coach, Thaloba Nthaga who was among those cautioning the supporters to calm down said the end results of what was an entertaining game was unsavoury.

“This was a game we could have easily won, we played well and it’s unfortunate that it had to end this way,” he said. He complained that the referee had denied them two legitimate goals but noted that the supporters had no right to threaten the match officials.

“The first one was a goal and the second goal was also a clear goal, but that is football,” said the disappointed Nthaga. Whilst Black Peril stand-in assistant coach, Amuchilani Mbotho praised his boys for the draw way from home.

He said the draw was an indication that Black Peril was starting to gel and they were on the way to contest for promotion. In another Debswana First Division South encounter played on Saturday, Black Forest was held by Ghanxi Terrors 0-0 at Mankgodi while Jwaneng Comets beat Modipane United 2-0. ENDS