There was an emotional outburst at a match between Gilport Lions and Maun based Sankoyo Bush Bucks on Friday when the Botswana Premier League (BPL) Head of Security and Logistics Manager, Joseph Moakofi, is alleged to have been assaulted by Gilport Lions owner, Kelisitse Gilika.
Charges have since been laid against Gilika at the Molepolole Police station and investigations are underway. According to Moakofi, Gilika attacked him while he was trying to stop him and his team from attacking match officials. Reports coming in indicate that Gilika and his team, who were aggrieved at the way the match officials had handled the game, confronted the match officials after the game, and in the ensuing exchange, Gilika is alleged to have assaulted Moakofi.
“When I saw them attacking match officials, i approached them and asked them to exercise restraint. I told them that if they have any complaints, they should follow the right procedure. Gilika then pushed and insulted me. As head of security i have to make sure that match officials are safe all the time hence my decision to approach them upon seeing them confronting officials. Some of the words he used were unpalatable,” Moakofi narrated.
Moakofi alleges that Gilika did not only assault him, but also threatened to suspend and fire him from his job. The premier league official also accused Gilika of making damaging accusations against him. “He made demeaning allegations that I bought referees to go against his team so that Gilport would lose the match,” he says. According to Moakofi, the matter was also reported to the interim league chairman, Rapula Okaile, as well as the Botswana Football Association (BFA) Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Kitso Kemoeng. The league official expressed displeasure over the way he was humiliated and more so that the ‘embarrassing act’ was done in public.
Molepolole station commander, Superintendent Tuelo Komanyane confirmed the case: “We have a case of common assault reported by Moakofi. The incident happened on Friday but was reported the following day.” Gilport Lions lost the game by a solitary goal.
