The Botswana Football Association (BFA) has taken disciplinary action against three match officials, Tshepho Gobagoba, Thatayaone Ramathaka, and Solomon Toitoi, suspending them for two months, equivalent to eight matches. This suspension extends to subsequent matches in the event of league game postponements.
Gobagoba and Ramathaka have been held accountable for incorrectly awarding Holy Ghost a goal during a league match against Police XI on October 31. Holy Ghost eventually secured a 2-1 victory. "The decision to award Holy Ghost a goal had a substantial impact on the final result and, in accordance with the rules, could not be overturned. Mr Gobagoba has issued a written apology, attributing the erroneous decision to suboptimal positioning," BFA said in an official statement.
Toitoi, on the other hand, is implicated in wrongly awarding Township Rollers a penalty during their 3-2 victory over Matebele FC at the National Stadium on November 26. The BFA additionally announces that upon completing their suspensions, the trio will be relegated to lower leagues.
"The NRC (National Referees Committee) has further decreed that upon the conclusion of their suspensions, the match officials will undergo a rehabilitation program. Subsequently, they will resume their duties in the lower leagues, where their progress will be closely monitored by experienced instructors and assessors," states the official release.
