Tonota, Kazungula face charges over unruly behaviour

SHINGIRAI MADONDO
Correspondent | Tuesday June 4, 2013 00:00

Ugly scenes of violence reigned supreme during a league encounter between relegation haunted Tonota FC and Kazungula Young Fighters - a development that has got the potential of tarnishing the image of lower football in the country.For the past eight years, both First Division North and South have been running the leagues without a sponsor. The corporate world has been shunning the lower football until the diamond producing giant in Debswana came on board late last year.Mmegi Sport is reliably informed that both teams are at fault and liable for the violence that took place over the weekend. All the three match officials were either harassed or beaten as violence substituted silky touches synonymous with the world's most beautiful game.

Acting Chobe Regional Football Association chairperson Dintle Basinyi confirmed the incident that transpired during the referee, Goodman Kenneth's optional time.'The game was over and it was not abandoned as others are saying,' said Basinyi when contacted for a comment yesterday. Basinyi said at the time of the incident, Kazungula was leading by a solitary strike, a goal they scored in the 18th minute.Basinyi said the home side was on top of the situation when trouble started. The home side had found a second goal past Thabo Race, the Tonota FC goalkeeper through a counter attack.The second goal that came right in the referee's optional time did not go down well with Tonota skipper Tshireletso Salefoma who grabbed the referee and tore his shirt while involved in a scuffle.

While tearing the referee's shirt, Salefoma was also insulting the referee uttering unprintable words resulting in a red card being flashed to him. Salefoma is said to have refused to leave the pitch and one of the Tonota FC officials had to intervene to cool the situation.But this did not go down well with other officials.Basinyi said one Tonota official was in pursuit of the first assistant referee, Michael Vakacha trying to beat him with a plastic water bottle filled with ice.As the referee was flashing a red card and being harassed, the second assistant referee Kagiso Othusitse had raised his flag signaling an offside. This angered Kazungula midfield maestro Manyima Seyoka.

Seyoka allegedly insulted Othusitse who then reported him to whistleblower. Kenneth flashed a red card to Seyoka who then responded by pelting stones at Othusitse. The second assistant referee emerged scathed and is currently nursing a back injury following the attack, it is said.A matter has been reported to the police. However, Acting Kasane Police Station Commander Dipheko Letamo could not be drawn into commenting about the matter.He had promised to come back to this reporter with information, but did not stick to his promise until press time.