19 Jan 2014

Failure by Debswana first division north clubs to honour fixtures has been cited as a source of concern which contributes to the disruptions in the running of the league.

Also, some of these clubs inform the league committee at the eleventh hour that they cannot make it to games, hence disrupting plans already made by their opponents. This was raised by the chairperson of the regional committee, Eatametse Olopeng during a consultative meeting with affiliates on January 18.

 He mentioned that this practice, if not nipped in the bud would result in the chaotic running of the league and increase costs to most clubs which were still struggling financially. Consequently, he suggested that the region should have its own disciplinary committee which could expeditiously deal with these issues instead of relying on the Botswana Football Association’s committee which took long to resolve issues.

Olopeng, whose 14 months suspension was lifted in December, informed club representatives that he wanted them to come up with ways in which this issue could be resolved. In addition, he said that he was not bitter or angry about the predicament he experienced and highlighted that he was ready to work with everybody for the benefit of football.

However, he said that he was of the view that the issue could have been dealt with better. “You will recall that as the members of this region nobody came to address you on my suspension. I am not a troublemaker and I believe that holding a different view from the national executive committee is healthy for the growth of football,” he said. On other issues, Olopeng mentioned that he was disappointed that he did not have time to deliver on his mandate because of the lengthy suspension.

Also, he said that he found new developments regarding sponsorship from Debswana and said that he was still familiarising himself with the matter. Consequently, he added that he did not believe that it was right for the executive committee to be running the sponsorship without the input of the clubs.

 He also decried the shortage of grounds which led the region to play some games outside Francistown. The first division north, he highlighted, should have its forums and not rely only on the BFA general assembly.

On other issues, he explained that there was need to put pressure on the executive committee of the BFA to have an office in Francistown and to also look at their statutes to check if they were in line with FIFA statutes. This, he noted, could be done in the form of workshops.

He also said that the frequent change of leadership in football was challenging as it does not give them time to deliver. “We should not use our laws to stifle the growth of clubs but rather to help them to reach higher standards,” he argued.

However, the treasurer, Rapula Gathobogwe informed the delegates that the reason why they sourced playing grounds at Gerald Estates and Tati Siding was because of the challenges they experienced when they wanted to access the Francistown stadium.

He also told them that some clubs have still not paid referees monies owed from the previous seasons and said that if this continued, they would be forced to deduct the money from their grants. The other challenge, he noted, was that they were still getting reports that  first division north players were still taking part in the constituency league games.

He also appraised the meeting on the state of the finances, saying that when the treasurer resigned there was no proper handing over of financial books but promised to normalise the situation starting from where he resumed duties.

For his part, the chairperson of Tonota football club, Maokaneng Bontshetse decried lack of financial accountability from committee members. He also implored the committee to look at the issue of referees in Maun who seem not to understand the equipment that is required in a game. He called for the referee’s commission to organise workshops for referees to familiarise them with rules of the game.

On other issues, he challenged teams in the north to empower themselves by supporting a candidate from their region for the position of BFA vice president. “The selection of the national under 15 also raises a lot of concerns as it made up of players from Gaborone up to Palapye. Other regions such as Chobe and Maun have been overlooked,” he complained.

Other delegates complained about the late delivery of their playing attire which they were promised in October. An official from BR Highlanders in Mahalapye decried the fact that some referees in his region were being side-lined while the same officials who were in the habit of being biased officiated in all the games.Others also argued that for the region to move forward there was need for them to formulate a strategic plan which would be used as a guide.  ENDS