07 Aug 2024

Supporters of Masitaoka Football Club are running against time to salvage their team following the sale of its status in the Botswana Premier League.

In their meeting held recently, the supporters agreed to revive their team by buying a status in the Kweneng Division One league after their investor, Aryl Ralebala, disinvested in the team and dissolved Masitaoka Enterprises.

Supporters, who were visibly agitated by the decision taken by their investor, were also shocked to learn that Ralebala had absorbed the 1 per cent they had in Masitaoka Enterprises. Masitaoka Enterprises was formed to manage Masitaoka Football Club, a society, based in Molepolole.

Through the investment, the team has had a good run in the Premier League ever since it gained automatic promotion in the 2020/21 season following its First Division South Championship at the end of the 2019/20 season.

Given the challenges of competing in the elite league, the team roped in an investor to help with the team’s finances.

However, at the end of this season, the relationship between the investor and supporters turned sour, and after he announced that he could no longer manage to run the team, he promised to hand it back to Bakwena.

Bakwena, however, are not happy as the status of their team in the Premier League has been sold to Mochudi Centre Chiefs, a team which refused to swap their First Division South status with them.

According to a member of the task force team, which was formed to negotiate with Ralebala on behalf of the team, they initiated the negotiations with Chiefs but reached a deadlock after the latter refused to swap with them their First Division status.

Jiki Segetlhe said they were shocked to learn that Ralebala had sold the status at the tune of P400 000, and in their earlier meeting with them, he encouraged them to look for a status in Division One to buy.

Ralebala promised to use the P400 000 to assist them to purchase a status and preparation for the next season.

Currently the team does not have players after they were released and the task team said they would take the equipment, which includes the kit and balls from the investor.

Supporters, however, want to know how their 10 per cent was dissolved and if the right procedure was followed to sell the team’s status without their input.

Some suggested that they write a letter to the Botswana Football Association (BFA) blocking the sale but some supporters felt it was a futile exercise.

The task force has meanwhile pleaded with the supporters to continue rallying behind the team and promised to keep updating members about new developments. Ends