BY DUNCAN KGANGKENNA
The concomitant issues of sports awards and deserving recipients have yet again come to the fore this year.
On Wednesday, 3rd April, at venue still to be announced, the Mascom Top 8 awards are envisaged to be staged but already tongues are wagging over the nominees list.
Football people have already described the list as disaster. The credibility of the people who nominated possible winners is questioned. According to sources some top coaches were used to come up with nomination list.
During the expected night of football glory only three awards being, the Top Goal scorer, Top Goal keeper and player of the tournament are envisaged.
The nominees for goalkeeper of the tournament are; Tumiso Mashakola (BDF XI), Goitseone Phoko (Gaborone United) and Ezekiel Morake (Jwaneng Galaxy). Those nominated for the player of the tournament award are; Thero Setsile (Jwaneng Galaxy), Obonwe Maome (GU) and Tumiso Mashakola (BDF XI).
The controversy has arisen on the player of the tournament nomination. Football commentator, Jimmy George “I am expecting circus on the day” he said.
“Why has Mashakola (goalkeeper) who has conceded five goals chosen ahead of another goalkeeper (Morake) who only conceded 1 goal for the entire tournament?” wondered George. Mashakola’s team (BDF XI) was eliminated in the semi finals by Galaxy.
“How does Mashakola get more nominations than a goalkeeper who has won the tournament? He conceded more goals and Morake conceded only one goal,” worried George. He said there is need for fairness to be practiced in sport and for people to have confidence on the whole system. “There are lots of discrepancies in the nominations” he observed.
According to George, the awards are straight forward to predict because of the way the nominations is done.
Asked how are his predictions and reasons he said, “The Goalkeeper of the tournament according to the list is going to be won by Mashakola of BDF XI who conceded five goals” he observed. Asked why, he said “Mashakola is also nominated in the player of the tournament that means he is better that those he was nominated with for the goalkeeper of the tournament” he is adamant that the award should go to Mashakola.
He said Morake though he deserve it, if he wins the goalkeeper award it will be wrong because he did not make it to the player of the tournament list. “The fact that Mashakola has been nominated twice shows he is better despite the number of goals he conceded and the stage his team was knocked at. Mashakola’s team BDF XI was knocked at the semi final.
George said it is disappointing that the coaches were used to nominate who would be the winners. “We all have to be educated on how they have arrived at that, it is confusing and football people need clarity” George wants more. The awards have turned into circus.
He observed that the player of the tournament nominees suggest that, Thero Setsile will win it. “They have made it too obvious for Setsile to win it” observed George.
He further advised that there can not only be three awards, there should be more since the tournament is played on two legs like the league games. “There should add more awards being; young player of the tournament, best defender and best goal of the tournament” he advised.
This year there are five top goal scorers who netted two goals each. They are Thero Setsile, Tebogo Sembowa, Tumisang Orebonye, Oboneye Maome and Kamogelo Matshaba.
Jwaneng Galaxy has won the Season 8 Mascom tournament; they beat Gaborone United two nil to emerge the champions.
