Botswana Football Association (BFA) has moved quickly to apologise for the weekend’s ‘unfortunate developments’ where some referees boycotted some games.
In what has been seen as a ‘brave move and a genuine show of leadership’ by the current BFA President, the Association took responsibility for the weekend events.
Maclean Letshwiti was forced to apologise after at least four of the league’s eight (8) fixture games could not take place as the referees never pitched up.
Referees no show decision was part of a protest for unpaid allowances.
“Following the recent unfortunate events whereby a certain group of referees decided to boycott Premier League games on allegations of none or outstanding payments from the previous season(s), the National Executive Committee (NEC) of the BFA would like to take this opportunity to tender its most sincere apology; first to Botswana Telecommunications Corporation (BTC) as the league sponsor for dragging their good name in the mud through this highly regrettable occurrence(s),” reads the statement signed by BFA President Maclean Letshwiti.
The BFA President also extended the same apology to other stakeholders, being the teams, supporters as well as the nation.
“As a responsible entity, the BFA leadership takes responsibility and would like to assure all its esteemed stakeholders that it will do all within its power to avoid future occurrences of this nature,” Letshwiti continued.
Letshwiti says the NEC is carrying out its investigations in order to get to the bottom of the situation.
The BFA seized the moment to call for the football fraternity to work together towards the development of football.
“The BFA would like to implore all those involved in the running of football in this country to synergistically gear their efforts towards actions and activities that have the effect of taking football to the next level of development as opposed to the opposite,” Letshwiti pleaded.
Meanwhile the acting Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Botswana Premier League (BPL), Thabo Ntshinogang, is optimistic that normalcy will return to the elite BTC Premiership.
However, following confirmations that the referees got their dues this past Monday, Ntshinogang said he is now hopeful that the league can now move on. Asked to comment on when the forfeited games are expected to be played, the acting BPL CEO said the League Management Committee is yet to meet to map a way forward.
The acting BPL CEO however could not wade into the referees’ issue, ‘as it was now in the hands of his superiors at the BFA.
