SEISMIC SHIFT ROCKS BFL
Expelled BFL clubs submit appeals Twelve club league was long mooted
Allegations of reducing Botswana Football League (BFL) teams to a total of 12 have gathered momentum in recent weeks as tough club licensing regulations are currently being enforced on local clubs.
Extension Gunners, Notwane, Mogoditshane Fighters, Mahalapye Railway Highlanders and Gilport Lions have all failed club licensing requirements ahead of the new season leaving top-level football league with only 11 teams.
The decision was made by Botswana Football Association (BFA) club licensing First Instance Body (FIB) after adjudicating over the license applications for clubs that will participate in the upcoming Botswana Football League (BFL) campaign. Some members of the teams which have been listed for failing to comply have labelled the decision by the powers that be at BFA as a ‘political witch-hunt’ to expel them from the elite league. “There have been rumours that BFA wants to reduce teams to 12, those rumours have not been dispelled by the Botswana Football Association. Even before submitting the club licensing requirements, names of the clubs currently listed for failure to comply were being mentioned, so we were aware of this kind of outcome,” one of the suspended team officials highlighted.
Ahead of the 2019/2020 season, the quartet of Molepolole City Stars, Notwane, Extension Gunners and Gilport Lions started the season on negative points, after they were docked points for failure to comply with club licensing requirements. It is a familiar tale for the other three clubs following City Stars relegation.
Contacted for comment, Notwane President and former BFA President Tebogo Sebego said: “We have made arrangements to make sure we fully comply. I can assure you we have done everything by the book. We are taking legal steps to defend this club.”
Notwane have reportedly failed to meet the mandatory club licensing requirements due to outstanding payment issues to former coaches, Michael Mogaladi and Kaelo ‘Wire’ Kaelo.
Gilport Lions, who unlike Gunners and Notwane are a privately owned business, are calm over the matter. The club Executive Chairman Kelesitse Gilika shared that they are addressing issues they are facing and are confident that they will be fully complying. “We are addressing two issues which I don’t think are serious cases. I will respect the process and act accordingly to meet the requirements,” Gilika noted. Newly elected Extension Gunners management face a baptism of fire –a mammoth task to save the club from possible relegation to the lower divisions.
Debts of the club have been well documented in recent past, the Peleng giants fell short in three(3) areas of requirements; finance, administration, and personnel. Information gathered by this publication is that appointments over medical doctor and physiotherapist were put into questions, more especially their qualifications.
Regarding financials, the club engaged an audit company to do their financials but unfortunately a minor error; failure to stamp the financial documents, disqualified their application and hence compliance failure. The elephant in the house is matters relating to debts owed to coaches, “We owe some coaches who their demands in negotiating payment plans were difficult to satisfy at the time of asking. We are continuing to engage them, and we believe that we will reach an agreement with them. We will do the best we can to make sure that this club will be competing in the BFL when football returns,” one of the club officials responded. Meanwhile, the BFA legal and compliance officer and club licensing manager, Pako Moakofhi confirmed earlier this week that, all the five (5) teams have submitted their appeals.
“All the teams have submitted their appeals, some may be, or all may be successful, and also they may not be successful in their appeals. New information will not be considered, subject to interpretation of whether some points were misinterpreted or overlooked previously,” Moakofhi highlighted. With the league expected to commence before long, hearing and adjudication dates on the matter are yet to be confirmed.