Wednesday, November 13, 2024

Chiefs to be crowned this weekend despite boardroom wrangling

Mochudi Centre Chiefs are expected to be crowned the 2014/15 beMobile Premier League Champions this coming weekend, despite pending boardroom wranglings. The Kgatleng outfit is currently in the middle of a protest storm from Letlapeng Football Club, who are arguing that Magosi used a defaulter when the two teams met earlier this year. In a case that is now in the hands of the Botswana Football Association (BFA) and National Appeals Board (NAB), Letlapeng are arguing that Chiefs’ talismanic captain, Pontsho Moloi was not supposed to play when the two teams clashed.

Although the case has not been resolved, the Botswana Premier League (BPL) Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Bennett Mamelodi, said ‘Magosi’ will be crowned this coming Saturday after their final league fixture with Police XI. The encounter is billed for the Molepolole Sports Complex.

“This coming weekend will mark the end of this season’s league championship and it is only fitting that Centre Chiefs will be given what is due to them. That is the standard procedure and we will do as such,” the BPL CEO said in an interview.

Asked about whether the ongoing boardroom wars will not cause confusions and reversals of Magosi’s
coronation and whether it is a good decision to go forth with awarding chiefs the league championship, the BPL CEO said at the moment, there is nothing the BPL could do but give Chiefs their championship. “We as the Premier League cannot control circumstances beyond us. We can only do what we can control and this will be awarding Chiefs their title. We have to do what we feel is right and this is the right thing to do,” he said.

While there had been hope that the boardroom wars would have been resolved this past week, Mamelodi said this could not happen. “We had had conversations with the Botswana Football Association (BFA) to have the boardroom cases resolved before the league concludes. The expectation was that the National Appeal’s Board would have met to resolve the issues but this could not happen due to certain circumstances,” the BPL CEO explained.

Asked how they will deal with the situation should the hearing have any bearing outcome on the league, the BPL CEO said the issue will be dealt with when it arises. “This is a double edged sword. Whatever you do or do not do, there are likely to be repercussions,” Mamelodi surmised.

At the bottom of the league, another boardroom battle, this time between FC Satmos and Sankoyo Bush Bucks, is threatening to delay the decision as to who will be relegated between Notwane and Satmos. However, should Notwane win their final encounter with Satmos this coming weekend, the outcome of the case will have no impact on the relegation battle as Notwane would be safe.

According to Mamelodi, expectation is that issues regarding the impending cases will be resolved this coming Monday when the concerned Disciplinary Committees meet to hear the issues.

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