FIFA in the dark over BFA�s Nato inquiry
Mqondisi Dube | Friday December 2, 2016 15:34
Nato had joined Township Rollers from Indian side, Atletico de Kolkata but the move caused a stir when his registration was challenged.
The switch was declared improper and Rollers lost 10 points and were fined as a result.
Rollers appealed to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) but were eventually persuaded to withdraw the matter after the intervention of BFA president, Maclean Letshwiti.
Despite the withdrawal, the BFA had said it would refer Nato’s status to FIFA for determination and direction in future.
“The withdrawal of the case should not be misconstrued in any way to mean concession on the part of Township Rollers to mean that indeed Mr. Nato was a defaulter at the time he was declared such; hence the need for the establishment of the true situation from FIFA,” the BFA said in statement in August, where it undertook to engage FIFA on the matter.
But a FIFA spokesperson told Mmegi Sport from Zurich yesterday that BFA had not sought any clarity on Nato. “At the time of writing our service has not been contacted by the Botswana Football Association in relation to the player in question,” the spokesperson said.
BFA public relations officer, Tumo Mpatane initially said they are still waiting for FIFA’s feedback. But when told that FIFA had not received such, he promised to get the proper position.
Rollers spokesperson, Bafana Pheto said they are still waiting for feedback from BFA.
“They have not updated us and we have not inquired from them since we are waiting for feedback. When we withdrew the matter, it was our request that they take the matter to FIFA and as far as we are concerned we are still waiting,” Pheto said yesterday.