Motlakase file protest against Gunners
Lekopanye Mooketsi | Wednesday December 3, 2014 10:58
Motlakase lost the game 1-0. The club’s spokesman, Abel Lobolo said they have filed a protest with the Premier League office.
He said they played the match under protest because Gunners failed to produce the new players’ identity documents.
He said match officials resolved that the game should not be called off because people had already paid to get into the stadium.
Lobolo said that in August, the Premier League office said teams cannot be allowed to play if they failed to produce registration books.
He said Gunners should be punished to send a strong warning to teams to abide by the rules and regulations. Gunners’ manager, Johannes Coetzee conceded that they failed to produce players’ documents.
However he said Motlakase has blown the issue out of proportion. Coetzee said he forgot the documents in Gaborone when he was exchanging cars.
He said he spoke to the match commissioner and the official told him that they should proceed with the game and the matter will be sorted out later. He stated that this is not a matter between the two teams. He said it is an administrative issue between Gunners and the league officials.
Coetzee said the official who checks the players’ registration is the match commissioner and not the teams.
He said if Motlakase has lodged a protest, they will wait for the hearing. He said the newly introduced documents are not even covered by the Botswana Football Association (BFA) rules and regulations. Botswana Premier League chief executive officer, Bennett Mamelodi confirmed the Palapye side has filed a protest.