Sport

BFA In Age-Cheating Scandal

Correspondent | Monday November 23, 2020 15:45

The Botswana Football Association (BFA) president, Maclean Letshwiti has said investigations are underway after the disqualification of the national Under-17 side at the COSAFA tournament
 
The Botswana Football Association (BFA) president, Maclean Letshwiti has said investigations are underway after the disqualification of the national Under-17 side at the COSAFA tournament

The football body says it awaits a full report from COSAFA and CAF following an age cheating scandal. On Friday, the Diamond Zebras were disqualified from the ongoing COSAFA Under-17 Championship after players failed Magnetic Resonance Test (MRI) test, which is mandatory for all participating teams to ascertain players’ ages.  The tests showed that Botswana had fielded over age players and alongside Comoros, eSwatini and Zimbabwe they were booted out of the tournament for the similar offence.

In a statement released on Saturday, the BFA says it has since opened investigations into the matter.

The inquiries are expected to be concluded in a week’s time as the BFA looks to challenge the decision to disqualify the Botswana team.

The association also says it was asked by CAF to conduct four tests which included x-ray, ECG (electrocardiogram), MRI and Covid-19 tests prior to the tournament. However, the MRI was not conducted before the team left for Port Elizabeth, South Africa.

“The basis of the disqualification as communicated to the BFA is that the team has failed the MRI test.

The National Executive Committee met this morning to get a briefing from the CEO on the MRI issue and the disqualification.

It came out clear from the meeting that the team had not undertaken the MRI test before departing for the tournament in South Africa,” the statement reads.

The Monitor Sport is informed that finance manager, Thabiso Kebotsamang is set to be appointed acting CEO pending conclusion of the investigations.

The Diamond Zebras had played to a 2-2 draw against Malawi in their tournament opener on Friday afternoon.

The team was set to face Comoros on Sunday afternoon before a final group stage fixture against Zambia on Wednesday as the tournament set to conclude this Saturday.

Diamond Zebras are in line to miss the Africa Under-17 Nations Cup as COSAFA serves as a qualification tournament for the region.

The case is the first age-cheating scandal in local sport.