TAFIC Wants Premiership Teams Increased
Boitumelo Khutsafalo | Monday June 22, 2020 14:20
TAFIC, Molepolole City Stars and Miscellaneous have been sent to the lower division after the BFA national executive committee (NEC) declared the season complete last week.
The decision has the three sides indignant as they believe they have been done an injusticeas they argue that with 10 matches remaining for each side, they could still survive relegation. The BFA has said they would need about P300 million to complete the remaining games, which was going to be a toll order.
However, TAFIC who declared that they will challenge the BFA decision, have also raised doubts over the figure which chairperson, Carlos Sebina said it could have been deliberately inflated.
Speaking during a media briefing on Saturday afternoon, Sebina said his side was ready to play the remaining games. He also said his team has always managed to deal with its financial deficiencies and therefore would still find a way to finish the league this season given a chance.
He said if the association feels that the remaining games cannot be played under the circumstances, it could have considered increasing the teams to 20. He said the association should have ordered that Sua Flamingoes, Nico United, Mogoditshane Fighters and Masitaoka join the Premiership to avoid current complications.
Sua Flamingoes and Masitaoka are currently on top of the Debswana First Division North and South respectively while Nico and Fighters are second. The BFA has announced that a committee will be formed which will come up with modalities of the play-offs.
Sebina said the play-offs pose the same risk as when the remaining league matches were to be played. He said with the increase of teams in the Premiership, it would plug the worries associated with play-offs.
In the consultation forms given to the clubs recently, the BFA provided only three options but BFA officials, Monnakgotla Mojaki and Phuthego Setete on Saturday said further suggestions from clubs were welcome. They were required to choose between playing the remaining games, nullifying the league as well as declaring the current season complete as it is.
The BFA has since warned aggrieved clubs to follow proper channels if they want to challenge the decision. TAFIC chairperson, Sebina said they will challenge the decision through the BFA structures because they are aware of the consequences of taking football matters to court.