Action was taken against the two players for inciting violence that resulted in a free-for-all assault on a referee after Gunners were knocked-out of the Coca-Cola Cup by minnows Boteti Young Fighters. Two months of the players’ suspension, has been suspended for a season. BFA ruled that the players should serve two months of the suspensions with effect from October 10.
In their letter to the National Appeals Board, the two players contend that no charges were laid against them by either BFA or its Disciplinary Committee (DC). They claim that this violates Articles 15.1 as read with 15.5 of the BFA Constitution, which was adopted last year. They further submit that on August 19, the DC chairperson, Tebogo Sebego wrote a letter to the secretary of their team, which did not contain proper charges against them. “Even supposing, but not conceding, that the allegations contained in the said letter amount to charges of assault, which is obviously denied, there was no charge, or even allegations, that we were inciting the Lobtrans Gunners’ supporters to act the way they did. With due respect, to find us guilty of a charge which we were never properly summoned to answer to can only lead to an inescapable conclusion that DC was in a fishing expedition, thereby violating the rule of natural justice. At any rate, DC erred in finding that we incited the supporters when in fact, there was no satisfactory evidence to that effect,” they stated in their letter.
In his report, Lucas Akanyang, the referee who was assaulted, said after blowing the final whistle, Motlhabankwe and Tsalaile chided him that: “O refa matlakala (you cheated our team).” Akanyang said the two players bounced a ball in front of him and when they were still talking, Gunners’ supporters rushed at him. He said the supporters assaulted him by kicking and stamping on his head. “I was rushed to hospital and went to report the matter to the police. I sustained terrible head and body aches,” he said.
In another report, match official Lekoko Charlie said immediately after the game, Tsalaile and Motlhabankwe took off their jerseys and went for the referee. He said Tsailaile who was also the captain, took the ball and bounced it on the ground in front of the referee.
Charlie alleged that Tsalaile pushed the referee back and tripped him. He said Gunners supporters forced their way into the pitch and pounced on the referee. He added that the supporters even threatened to follow the referee to his residence in the evening to continue with their assault. The whistle man was forced to spend the night in Letlhakane village because of the threats.
Charlie recommended that Gunners should be disciplined for “man handling, assaulting and bringing the game of soccer into disrepute”. He conceded that the hosting team, Boteti Young Fighters failed to provide enough security at the match.
The suspension of the two players comes as a double blow for the embattled Gunners who were fined heavily for the Orapa violence. Gunners were slapped with a P20,000 - half of which was suspended. The club has also been banned from participating in all local cup tournaments for a season.
