Rollers left bruised after Nato victory
Mqondisi Dube | Friday March 11, 2016 12:29
Mochudi Centre Chiefs and Gilport Lions might have emerged from the Ofentse Nato case punch drunk, but at the end of the sparring match, Rollers were left licking the most significant wounds. Understandably, Rollers’ spokesperson, Bafana Pheto was measured in the post-match celebrations.
“There is a witch-hunt. All these protests were planned. They wanted us to lose focus and to some extent they managed to win because we just lost to Gaborone United (GU) on Saturday.
We have since realised that even when we have a game, our opponents are not only those on match day. We are fighting many enemies, but we are ready for that,” Pheto observed.
After all, the foe had landed the mightier of punches despite Nato being cleared to play after a month littered with protests.
First Gilport Lions arrived at the Botswana Premier League offices protesting the legibility of the former Gaborone United (GU) man soon after a league match.
Bitter rivals, Mochudi Centre Chiefs were thumped 3-1 in a Mascom Top 8 semi-final and days later, had submitted their protest.
Rollers were pegged back and as a precaution, decided against using Nato in their league games against Satmos and GU as the effect of the protests began to bite. Nato is on a short four month deal, which expires at the end of the season, and with his high profile, does not come cheap. He is, arguably, among the highest paid Rollers players and a day out is quiet monumental.
Given that he is on a short-term deal, the club cannot afford to have him away for even 90 minutes.
Nato’s deal effectively meant he would play only to a maximum of 12 games before heading back to Atletico de Kolkata in the Indian Premier League.
Nato has already missed two games due to the protests although he was eventually cleared this week.
Two games are equal to two weekends or a fortnight in football.
In formal employment this would mean Nato missed two weekends, but the club will still shell his full dues at the end of the month.
Besides the financial wounds, Rollers felt the wrath of the protests on the pitch as the popular Gaborone giants went on to record their second loss of the season, going down 1-0 to GU on Saturday.
Besides Nato being absent, the protests, as Pheto admitted, have upset and distracted the team, with their lead at the top of the beMOBILE Premiership standings slashed to only two points.
For Rollers’ rivals, the protests, win or lose, were probably a necessary distraction and part of the mind games as the league race enters a decisive phase.