Coke Cup organisers kick-out Miscellaneous

BOITUMELO KHUTSAFALO
Staff Writer | Wednesday March 2, 2011 00:00

 

Referee Phuthego Omphile is said to have stopped the duel in the first half because of safety reasons after some supporters invaded the pitch.

The chairman of the organising committee, Gaolatlhe Kelesitse, told Mmegi Sport yesterday that they met and gave TAFIC the green light to compete in the last 16 round against BMC in Francistown this Saturday.

He explained that the committee met on Monday and discussed the reports of the referee and the match commissioner before they made the decision. Miscellaneous' supporters are said to have invaded the pitch at a time when TAFIC were leading 1-0 and this forced the linesman to take cover. The referee decided to stop the match immediately for safety reasons.

Miscellaneous' spokesperson, Solomon Dikgang, said he was surprised by the decision taken by the organising committee. He said there is no truth in allegations that Miscellaneous' supporters invaded the pitch.

He stated that it was only one supporter who no-one can identify as a fan of Miscellaneous who strayed into the pitch.

He said the intruder was far away from the referees and was stopped by security officers before he could engage in mischief. 'The problem is that we do not know as yet what the referee and the match commissioner's report say. We really do not know why we are being punished,' he said. By the time of going to press, Miscellaneous was yet to receive correspondence from the organising committee. They were to meet yesterday afternoon to map the way forward.

This marks the second consecutive season when a match involving TAFIC had to be stopped before normal time because of security concerns.

Last season, Joshua Bondo stopped the duel between TAFIC and Mochudi Centre Chiefs in Selebi-Phikwe because of crowd trouble. Chiefs were leading 2-2 when the match was abandoned and got the green light to advance to the next stage.

Meanwhile, the last 32 match between Black Peril and ECCO City Greens is scheduled for tomorrow at Molepolole Sports Complex. Kick-off is at 7pm. The winner between the two will face Township Rollers on Sunday at a yet-to-be confirmed venue.