Chiefs deny fielding defaulter
Kabelo Boranabi | Thursday October 20, 2016 17:30
Information from the Botswana Premier League (BPL) shows that the player had picked two consecutive cautions against Extension Gunners and Orapa United, and was therefore supposed to sit out his team’s 1-0 defeat to Miscellaneous.
Although BPL acting chief executive officer, Thabo ‘Stiles’ Ntshinogang did not shed much light on the issue, Mmegi Sport records show that the player was cautioned against Orapa United for simulation last week Friday and not during the league opener against Gunners a fortnight ago. Chiefs spokesperson, Clifford Mogomotsi said the documents that the club received contradict the ones posted on the BPL’s Facebook page.
“We saw the other list which contradicted the one we have. Our general manager (Zaahid Jalal) then went to the league office to seek clarification, and our player was then cleared to play against Miscellaneous,” Mogomotsi told Mmegi Sport yesterday. He further said his team could not make sense out of the issue as they have seen two contradicting records from the same office and could have an impact on preparing the team for any league game.
“This kills the spirit of fair completion. I think the (Premier League) office should be consistent on these matters. These types of records should be computerised rather than recorded manually. It was coming up smoothly until this incident,” he said.
Ntshinogang said thus far there have been no problems regarding suspended players.
“Since I have been in the office a maximum of three games have been played and we have not had problems with giving the teams the relevant information. In this case, if our match reports show that indeed the player was a defaulter there are rules that would guide us on how we would deal with that case whether there is a complaint or not,” Ntshinogang said yesterday.
Galenamotlhale has been the backbone of the Kgatleng based side for the past two seasons and has played every minute of football of the new season.
Cases of clubs using ineligible players have been a bane to local football, with the infamous Ofentse Nato saga plunging football into a crisis last season. Chiefs were also accused of fielding a defaulter two seasons ago, when Pontsho Moloi did not serve his suspension after accumulating three yellow cards.