Chobe Utd protest after biting the dust
Koketso Kgoboge | Wednesday July 5, 2017 16:15
The two teams met in Nata to decide who goes down to Division One, but Chobe have contested the outcome.
First Division North secretary general, Rapula Gaotlhobogwe confirmed the protest and said they expect Chobe to register their issue within seven days after the encounter.
“Chobe had indicated before the game that they will be playing under protest and it was registered in the match sheet,” Gaotlhobogwe said.
“We expect to hear from them in the next seven days, otherwise the game went well until the 90th minute and as it stands Chobe has been relegated.”
Chobe chairperson, Bogosing Bogosing said a lot of issues building up to the play-off did not add up, even before the encounter hence they lodged a protest.
He said they believe the result was pre-determined and has vowed they will not allow to be pushed out of the league.
“From where we stand, we believe there is a conspiracy to kick us out of the league as a way of saving costs for other clubs.
“We were informed late, four days before the play-off match and on receiving the notification we wrote back that we be allowed sufficient time to prepare for the play- off and we were turned down a day before the game.”
“We had to honour the fixture but at the game, although the venue was deemed neutral, the match officials were not. They all came from Francistown and we felt that was fishy.”
“We requested to be furnished with the team sheets and the request was also turned down and that led to the protest.”
Gaotlhobogwe dismissed Chobe’s claims and said everything was done above board.
He admitted they wrote to Chobe on June 27.
He also admitted the referees came from Francistown, but issues of referees are beyond the league committee’s jurisdiction.
“We can not plan to disadvantage any team or favour any. We wrote to both teams on Tuesday as a follow up to the notification of the impending play-off that was put before the clubs by the chairman at the assembly two weeks before the game.”
“Unfortunately, issues of the referees are dealt with by the referees association and we have no business in that. From where we stand the game is played and over, we are just waiting for Chobe’s protest.”