Lions� ownership issue continues to haunt league
Kabelo Boranabi | Friday December 16, 2016 14:17
When quizzed if the team will honour the fixture, Gilport Holdings’ Kelesitse Gilika directed Mmegi Sport to Sonny Phiri. “If you want to know anything about that team you must go to (Sonny) Phiri or (Tumo) Mpatane of Botswana Football Association. I do not have any comment pertaining to that team,” he briefly said.
For his part, Phiri refused to comment on whether the game will take place or not. He however blamed players for the team’s non-appearance for the Sankoyo Bush Bucks game last weekend. Phiri said he believes the players do not want to welcome him back to the club.
“We heard last Friday through the Footballers Union of Botswana that the players are not going to play the game. We thereafter decided to meet with them on Saturday morning of which they refused without the presence of the FUB. We pleaded with the FUB to come through and they did.
The meeting went on and a point was reached but to my surprise some of the players, coach and team manager decided to remain with a view that they will meet with us in Otse as they were rushing for something.
Unfortunately they did not come. The team manager came around 4.30pm when the game was already called off. That is a serious sabotage. You have to understand that they have their own agreements with their employers (Gilport Lions),” Phiri said. He said they told the BFA that the sabotage was likely to happen but the association did not want to listen to them. “The BFA does not want to understand our situation. What we wanted is the status of the team and not the team. We told them that we will use our old traditional colours and the name,” Phiri said.
A player who spoke to Mmegi Sport on condition of anonymity said they will continue with the boycott until they are paid their outstanding dues.
Meanwhile, Gilport Lions were set to appear before the BPL disciplinary committee last night for their failure to honour league fixtures. “We have fixtured them to play and we expect them to do so as per the rules,” BPL acting chief executive officer, Thabo ‘Styles’ Ntshinogang said yesterday. Gilport are facing two accounts of failing to honour a match.
They did not pitch up for the Mochudi Centre Chiefs game last month and against Sankoyo Bush Bucks last weekend. The team is three games behind schedule, and sits on the 12th spot with 11 points.