Molepolole City Threatens League Stoppage
Boitumelo Khutsafalo | Monday October 11, 2021 16:01
The club is challenging its relegation from the elite league last season. The long awaited season is scheduled to kickoff on October 23 but City Stars, which was among the two other sides relegated last season have threatened to stop it should the football authorities not listen to their demands.
The club has written a letter to the Botswana Football Association (BFA) on Friday demanding that their appeal be placed before the Arbitration Tribunal by this Wednesday.
The club, through its representatives, Thabiso Tafila Attorneys has told the BFA that the matter will be taken high up should their appeal not be placed before the Arbitration Tribunal. “In that event, it might be become necessary to interdict the envisaged commencement of the football season. We trust that you will act accordingly to forestall such an eventuality,” the club through its lawyers wrote to the BFA. According to sources, the club feels unfairly treated by the association and have been writing letters without getting any responses.
The Friday letter was a follow up to the one the club wrote last month in which it requested its matter to be heard on its own merit rather than be served with the ruling on the TAFIC matter. The club gave the association two options of which was to either reinstate the club in the elite league or place the matter before an arbitration tribunal.
City Stars was among the three sides, together with TAFIC and Miscellaneous who were relegated after the 2019/2020 season was cut ended prematurely because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Both TAFIC and City Stars complained about the decision to stop the league with an average of 10 matches left. But their complaints have been hit a snag. City Stars were also among other clubs including Notwane and Gilport Lions that were docked points at the start of that season for failing to meet Club Licensing requirements.
The club also reportedly feel the association has been applying double standards with the most recent being when they pardoned some clubs after they failed to meet Club Licensing requirements. Extension Gunners, Mogoditshane Fighters, Mahalapye Railways Highlanders, Gilport Lions and Notwane were recently denied licenses but were later given a reprieve. BFA CEO, Goabaone Taylor said she had not been at the office since Wednesday and can only confirm if the letter has arrived when she gets to the office today.